Grizzly Encounters
by nicolestarshooter
Summary: Lucas enjoys some R&R with family but will this fun time turn deadly?
1. Fun with family

A/N: So here is a brand new story that I started writing a few days ago. It goes along the same background as my last two stories that can be found on my profile if anyone is confusses.

Disclaimer: As cool as it would be I don't own any of the characters or locations mentioned on SeaQuest DSV. I am not here to make profit on anything except my readers happiness.

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><p>Lucas raced down the corridors of the <em>seaQuest<em> towards the bridge. He suddenly landed flat on his back, looking up at the face of Chief Crocker.

"Lucas, you know better than to run through the corridors without watching where you are going," Crocker scolded.

"Sorry, Sir," Lucas apologized. "Is my dad on the bridge? I need to ask him something."

"Yes, he is, but try walking next time."

"Yes, Sir."

Lucas always enjoyed walking on the bridge since it was where all the activity really took place. He could sit back and watch it for hours. Lucas looked around the room and then spotted his father by the moon pool. It looked like Darwin had also decided to pay his dad a friendly visit. Lucas walked over to his father and reached out from behind him to pet Darwin. Bridger turned his head slightly to face his son.

"To what do I owe this friendly visit?" Nathan asked.

"Well, I was just on the vidlink talking to Robbie, and we were wondering if I could go stay with him for a little while? I haven't got to see him since we started the tour," Lucas asked with pleading eyes, analyzing his father.

"How long is a 'little while', Lucas?" Nathan asked, knowing his son was getting tired of the ship; it has been awhile since they last docked.

"We were thinking a month. Please, Dad, I _am_ sixteen. I can take care of myself," Lucas reasoned.

"I don't know; let me talk to Robert and straighten out all the details. Then, we will talk," Nathan said. As much as he hated to admit it, Lucas never lied, but he did have a habit of bending the truth; he simply wanted to confirm with Robert that the plans were set.

It was not until later that evening that he got the chance to call him.

"Hey, Robert, how have you been?" Nathan asked his eldest son.

"Good, I have been waiting for your call," Robert said, knowing his father's protectiveness would have him calling in a matter of hours.

"Oh." Nathan laughed. "Am I that predictable?"

"I know you, Dad; I knew when I invited Lucas that you would call yourself. You can be a little over-protective when it comes to Lucas."

"Can you blame me with everything that has gone on in the last year? He has been kidnapped three times, shot, and beat up," Bridger said with regret in his eyes. He wanted to let Lucas go, but worried about his safety.

"I know, Dad; I have seen it all too. But, Lucas needs time to relax and be a teenager. He has always had to be the adult. I mean, sure Ben can bring the teen in him out sometimes, but he needs this. I promise to watch him like a hawk; he is not going missing on my watch again," Robert promised, knowing his father was always concerned about Lucas and the enemies he had made though his brilliance.

"I know. I will think it over and call you tomorrow," Bridger said. "Goodbye, Son."

A week later, Lucas was dropped off at Robert's apartment; he would be there for a few hours till Robert got off work. Lucas waited inside the apartment; he called his dad and told him he had arrived safely, then got on a computer and chatted with friends on the Internex till the door of the apartment swung open. Lucas turned his head to greet his brother, but was surprised and startled to see a woman in the doorway, who was equally surprised to see him.

"_Who_ are you, and _what_ are you doing here?" she demanded as she walked over to the vidlink and started dialing the police.

"I could ask the same; I don't know who you are, but my brother will be here soon, so you'd better leave," Lucas said, hoping this was not another kidnapping attempt as he saw her dialing a number on the vidlink.

"Well, I don't know who your brother is, but this is my_ boyfriend's_ apartment, and he has never mentioned a brother coming here," she spat at him as she waited for police to arrive.

"You must have the wrong place because this is my _brother's_ apartment, and he should be home any minute. He'll kick you out of here," Lucas threatened, hoping the woman would give up and leave. Her demeanor and attitude was setting him on edge.

The two were at a standstill for several minutes, neither giving in when a banging was heard at the door. "Police! Open up." The woman moved to open the door while Lucas stood, frozen.

"Officers," she gasped, "finally. I came to my boyfriend's apartment, and this boy was messing with his computer. He claimed to be waiting for his brother, but he had not informed me anyone was coming."

"Well, young man" an officer asked, turning to him, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"It's true; this is my brother's apartment I was waiting for him to get off work. I am here to visit for a few weeks," Lucas explained.

"Could you show me your clothes and things that you brought, then?" the officer asked, hoping to clear this up quickly.

"Yes, my bag is over in the second bed room. The duffel is on the bed." Lucas said.

"One bag and you are staying here for a 'few weeks'?" the officer questioned, having problems believing the story. He was in a hurry; it was almost the end of shift, and he wanted this matter settled. "Boy, grab your bag; we are taking you to the station for breaking and entering."

"No, you can't" Lucas protested. "My brother will be here soon and will straighten this all out, I swear," Lucas begged as the police officer put him in handcuffs, making him shake. He could not stand being restrained after all the kidnappings. Just as they began to lead him out of the apartment, a loud voice came out of nowhere.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" Robert was standing in the doorway; he had run to the apartment up three flights of stairs when he had seen the police car outside, fearing the worst. "RELEASE MY BROTHER IMMEDIATLEY!"

"Robert, this really is your brother?" the woman said, astonished. "I thought he was a robber or something, so I called the police."

"Melanie, I told you a week ago my brother was coming. How could you forget?" Robert scolded as the officers took the handcuffs off Lucas.

"If we are not needed, then we will be on our way," the officers said as they left, then Robert turned to his shaken little brother. He may be sixteen, but after being shot, kidnapped more than once, and exposed to horrible treatments, he was a lot jumpier because of it.

"You okay, buddy?" Robert asked as he sat next to Lucas on the sofa.

"Yeah, I-" Lucas stopped and looked at Melanie. "I did not know you had a girlfriend."

"We have been dating about a month; she was here because I wanted to introduce you to each other, but then, I ran late at work," Robert apologized. "Melanie, this is my little brother, Lucas; Lucas, this is my girlfriend, Melanie."

"Hello," Lucas said uneasily.

"Nice to meet you," Melanie replied.

"Well, I was planning dinner, but I think we will move it to tomorrow night instead. Melanie, tonight, I want to catch up with my brother, so I will see you tomorrow." Robert said as he kissed her and led her to the door. After she left, he went back to Lucas.

"Lucas, your hands are shaking," Robert noticed, walking back over to his brother and kneeling in front of him. Lucas started having tremors after his last kidnapping. They were now almost non-existent unless he was truly scared.

"I hadn't noticed," Lucas said as he looked at his trembling hands.

"What scared you?" Robert asked. "And don't give me your typical 'nothing'."

"I was not expecting Melanie to be here, and then, the men handcuffed me…I thought they were going to kidnap me again," Lucas admitted.

"It is understandable; you have been though a lot this year. But this next month is just you and me. I took the next couple of weeks off work so that we can have a lot of guy time, okay?" Robert said, looking at Lucas. "Now, how about we order a pizza and watch a few movies?"

Robert and Lucas laughed though a couple of comedies before turning in for the night. Lucas got set up in Robert's second bedroom. Robert had a plan for the next couple of weeks. He had it all set up; he and Lucas were going camping at Yellowstone National Park. He had cleared it with their dad-a nice trip away from technology was exactly what Lucas needed since he had a habit of working too hard. Yellowstone was one of the last good camping areas. With the ever-increasing population, very few natural parks still existed. He had made the arrangements a few weeks ago, hoping to take Lucas. They were flying out in the morning and would be out of contact for a week. Robert remembered a few times that their father had taken a short vacation, and they would go camping for the weekend.

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><p>Well their is the first chapter I know it is not very long but I hoped you enjoyed reviews are very important and I love to read. Constructive critism is essentail to my writing so never be afaid to say something bad.<p> 


	2. Vacations are fun, right?

Here is a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

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><p>Robert walked into Lucas's room early the next morning and shook him awake. "Lucas, you need to wake up; we have places to go."<p>

"It's too early," Lucas mumbled as he pulled a pillow over his head and rolled over.

"I know, but we are going on a trip for a week, and we have a plane to catch," Robert explained, hoping not to give too much up. "If you want breakfast, you had better get up; we need to leave for the airport in an hour."

"What about my stuff? I still need to pack?" Lucas asked as he began to wake up.

"I packed everything you need; plus, I have stuff waiting for us at our destination," Robert explained, hoping he could keep the camping trip a secret. If Lucas knew they were leaving modern technology for a whole week, there was no way he would get Lucas on that plane.

"Where are we going exactly? Dad will want to know where he is if he calls," Lucas replied, his lack of knowledge making him nervous. He hated going into a situation blind.

"Dad knows where to find us. I cleared this all with him before you came here," Robert explained.

"Are you going to clue me in on this, or do I just sit here blind?" Lucas questioned.

"You will know once we get on the plane; now get a move on. Melanie will be here soon to take us to the airport."

"Fine," Lucas grumbled, getting out of bed. "But I don't see why we have to fly."

"I don't understand why you hate flying. It is perfectly safe," Robert said, laughing.

"Tell that to Cynthia Wolenczak," Lucas said bleakly.

"Who is she?" Robert asked, looking intensely at his younger brother.

"She was my mother. She died three years before I was adopted by the captain in a plane crash. The last time I was on a plane, Doc thought she would have to sedate me," Lucas explained. "I was only twelve when she died and have avoided planes as much as possible."

"I'm sorry, Lucas; does Dad know all this?" Robert asked, wondering why his father would not have warned him about this.

"He knows my mom died, but I don't think he knows how," Lucas said, lowering his gaze.

"You need to tell him. We could have avoided all this," Robert explained. "Come on, we are running short on time."

"Okay, just give me a few minutes to get dressed. I will be ready," Lucas said as the doorbell rang.

As Lucas dressed, he heard the conversation going on in the living room.

"Why do you have to go on this stupid camping trip? You finally take a vacation from work, and you spend the whole time with your brother. What about me?" Melanie whined.

"I told you, I don't get to see Lucas much anymore because he is on _seaQuest_. So while he is here, I will be spending time with _him_. Why is that so hard to understand?" Robert said, sounding agitated.

"So your little brother is more important than us being together?" Melanie said, sounding angry herself.

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Right now, Lucas is here to spend time together, and you can wait," Robert explained.

"I don't get why he is so important. Even when he is not here, all you talk about is Lucas, your dad, and that stupid boat. You never talk about us. So you need to choose; me or them," Melanie said.

"Them," Robert said confidently. "I will always choose my family. I lost six years with my father and I am just getting to know my brother. Nothing can change that, so if you can't deal with that, then we are over," Robert said, and Lucas heard the door slam. Robert called to Lucas, "Change of plans; we are going to call a cab. Be ready to go when it gets here."

"Okay," Lucas answered, not giving away what he had heard.

Half an hour later, Robert and Lucas were rushing though the airport and boarding the plane with only moments to spare. After they took off and were settled, Robert went about explaining how they would be spending the next week.

"Okay, Lucas, now I will explain what we will be doing. We are going to go camping. Now, before you interrupt, you will listen to the rules first," Robert started with Lucas not looking too keen on the idea of camping. "We are following the same rules Dad had me follow growing up. We have no electronics or computer gadgets, nothing of the modern world." Lucas opened his mouth to argue that he had some work that he wanted to do, but Robert kept going, "I have already removed all that from your bags. So as soon as we land, you hand over everything you have on hand, including your computer, which I know is in your carry-on. The only thing we take is a radio in case of an emergency. We are going to Yellowstone National Park for a whole week of camping. We are just taking the essentials; they are waiting at a ranger's station at the park. I knew if I told you before we got on the plane, there was no way to get you there. So we will have fun, and you will have a vacation from technology; it is what you need," Robert finished, watching Lucas's reaction during his speech.

""Robbie, I hate camping. I don't know why you're making me do this. I could be at home in my own soft bed, sleeping till noon. But, no. I have to be stuck in the wilderness in this crummy tent spending MY vacation living like a Neanderthal," Lucas grumbled. "I have never been camping in my life," Lucas said, trying not to raise his voice. He was angry; Robert waited till they were surrounded with people before telling him so that he could not react the way he wanted to.

"I know you haven't been camping before; that is why I am taking you. It will be fun just giving it a chance. You need to stop acting like a child. It's only for a week; you can vegetate by your computer when we get back. Fresh air won't hurt you. You should be happy to get it instead of being on a sub all the time. Don't you have any sense of adventure? I mean, what could go wrong?" Robert said as he got settled back in his seat and tried to fall back asleep. Lucas scoffed and pulled out his computer to do a little work while Robert slept.

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><p>Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please rate and review! Thanks again to my amazing beta Darkin5520. YOU ROCK!<p> 


	3. Off to the woods we go!

**WOW I am so sorry for the delay. I don't have internet at my house so i have to go to a library to get internet then I have been busy with moving so I am super sorry for holding up the story for so long. Please forgive me. I promise as soon as I get home today to write you a new chapter. I try to update once a week but it is hard sometimes. I have a full time job trying to go back to college and taking care of my grandmother. I hope you all enjoy though. **

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><p>A few hours later, their flight landed. Robert and Lucas made their way through security and baggage claim and out to a waiting car that Robert had rented. From the car, they drove into town.<p>

"We have to pick up our supplies, and then we are getting a hotel for the night. It is a couple hours' drive to Yellowstone; then, we have the hike to the campsite, so we will get an early start in the morning," Robert said, outlining the game plan. "We will call Dad when we get to the hotel, okay?"

"Yeah, I am still not into the whole camping thing, but whatever you say," Lucas answered, looking out the window at the passing scenery.

Lucas and Robert got settled in their hotel room when the vid-phone rang, and Melanie popped up on the screen.

"Robert, I am so sorry about what I said this morning. I was being selfish. I guess since I am an only child, I never realized the connection that two siblings can share. Is there any way you can forgive me for being a complete idiot?" Melanie begged over the phone as Robert just watched her.

"I don't know, Melanie. Can we talk about this when I get back? I have to call my dad and tell him we arrived safely. Okay?" Robert said, knowing he needed to think this all through, and a week in the woods would give him that time.

"Okay, take your time. I will be here. I love you, Robert," Melanie said sadly as she hung up the phone.

Robert then used his security codes to create a vid-link to _seaQuest_. Tim O'Neill was the one to answer; he looked ready to fall asleep. They were on the opposite side of the globe helping out an underwater colony.

"Hey, Tim, is my dad on duty right now?" Robert asked, thinking he was probably asleep.

"No, he went to his quarters about 30 minutes ago; let me see if he is awake," O'Neill said as he opened a connection to the captain's quarter. "Captain, I have a vid-link from Lucas and Robert."

"Send it through to my quarters; thank you, O'Neill," Nathan said, sitting up in his bunk and walking into the view of his vid-link.

"How are you two doing?" Nathan asked the moment his sons appeared onscreen.

"Great," Lucas said sarcastically, "for someone who was practically _kidnapped _and now _forced_ to live like a Neanderthal for an _entire_ week."

"Oh, Lucas, you will enjoy it. I used to take Robert camping all the time when he was young, and he always enjoyed it," Nathan explained. "So when do you two head out?"

"First thing in the morning; it is a couple hours' drive from the hotel to the park, then half a day's hike up to our campsite," Robert explained. "It is wonderful the whole park is surrounded by jamming technology so that everyone can truly be cut off, but since we are going for an entire week, a ranger is going to check in halfway through to ensure we are okay."

"That sounds nice," Nathan said, but he could hear Lucas scoff. "I wish I could be with you guys, but you know duty calls. Maybe we can plan to go together later on."

"Not likely," Lucas replied. "I may be tricked into going once, but if you think I will do this again, you are crazy. Now I am going to shower and then _enjoy_ the twenty-first century while I still can. You two have fun talking." And with that, Lucas left for the bathroom.

"Robert, watch him carefully please. He has not had any problems with his knee in months, but I would take the hike slowly, just in case. He has never pushed it that far since he was shot there," Nathan warned.

"I will, Dad; take care. We will call as soon as we return to civilization," Robert said as he said good night to his dad.

The next morning came all too soon for Lucas's liking. He could not understand why his brother was going to drag him to some God-forsaken place to live there for a week. He certainly would not be going on vacation with him again anytime soon. They drove for two and a half hours in their rental car and stopped in front of a ranger's station just outside the park.

"Good morning," the ranger greeted. "Do you have a reservation for a campsite?"

"Yes," Robert answered "It's under Robert Bridger; it should be for a one-week stay."

"Oh, yes, here it is," the ranger replied as she looked though the files from her computer. "Parking is half a mile down the road inside the park. Here is your map and compass to direct you to your campsite; have fun."

"Not likely," Lucas murmured.

"Thank you," Robert replied.

After parking, they both picked up their bags and began their eight-mile hike up to their campsite. Robert enjoyed the scenery, the trees that seemed to reach the sky, and the fresh smell in the air that one could only find miles from civilization. Lucas walked along, seemingly bored, wondering how people lived before computers. A rustling was heard in the bushes to their left, causing Lucas to jump nearly a foot in the air and Robert to burst into laughter as a young doe walked out of the brush, took one look at the pair and darted off.

"Lucas, it was_ just_ a deer. You need to calm down; there is nothing really dangerous in these woods. The bears are sanctioned off from the rest of the miles from here," Robert explained with a slight grin.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Lucas said sarcastically, "and when we get eaten alive by one, I will bring us back to life and kill you myself."

"Okay, okay, why don't we take a little break? Then, we can continue to the campsite. We are about halfway there," Robert said as he pulled out water bottles and a couple protein bars he had packed.

"Fine," Lucas complied as they sat on a fallen tree a few feet away.

After about a half hour's rest, the two continued through to their campsite. It was about mid-afternoon before they reached the campsite and began putting up their tent. Robert took out a rope and suspended their food supplies above the ground so they didn't attract any unwanted animals. Then, he started a fire and began cooking lunch for the two of them.

"So what exactly are we going to do here except sit around?" Lucas asked.

"Well, there is a place for fishing and taking hikes and just enjoying nature, although I would think you like sitting around. Isn't that what you do all day on your computer?" Robert teased.

"That is different. I have a purpose then, and _this_ is just pointless," Lucas countered.

"It's to help you relax, so why don't you do that?" Robert said as he turned back to fixing their lunch.

As soon as they had eaten lunch, Robert and Lucas walked half a mile to a steam with their fishing poles.

"Have you ever gone fishing before, Lucas?" Robert asked as he baited his hook and cast it into the lake.

"No, Lawrence never had the time. He was always working on some project. World power had been the center of his attention for the last eight years. He was never really a family guy. But then again, my mom was not either. I remember an argument they had just a couple weeks before she died. They didn't even realize I was home yet from college. They had admitted to each other that they never meant to have kids. I was a mistake off a drunken night after some dinner, and they had forgotten to use protection," Lucas spat, "They only kept me because of how bad an abortion would look. So, if they had been some lower-class couple, I guess I would not even be here. My 'parents', if you could call them that, never cared enough to do anything with me."

"Well, then I am happy Dad and I can still teach you things then," Robert answered, trying to make better of the situation. He had known how starved for affection Lucas had been, but this was just awful. So Robert showed him how to bait his hook and cast the line. "Now all we do is wait for a bite."

It took a good ten minutes before Lucas felt a sudden tug on his line. He had no idea what to do. Robert looked over at him and started giving instructions.

"Okay, start reeling him in slowly; don't pull too hard; let him come to you, otherwise you could snap the line. That's it; good job. Okay, let me get the net." After the fish was caught, he baited the hook again and continued to fish until they had caught a couple motes, then headed back to the campsite.

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><p>Thanks for readign please rate and review.<p> 


	4. An Unexpected Visitor

**Here is mey beta's version of chapter 4 hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Lucas and Robert arrived back at the campsite. Robert pulled out all pots and pans, plus spices he would need to cook the fish. He then began to remove the scales from the fish. Lucas watched in disgust; he knew this was how it happened, but actually seeing it was disturbing. It was nasty to watch the scales slowly being cut away from the fishes' flesh.<p>

"How can you do that? It is nasty," Lucas said as more scales fell to the ground, making his stomach turn.

"We have to eat, and I know how disgusted you feel. The first time I watched Dad do this, I was disgusted too. I was only ten; I promptly threw up and refused to eat any of the fish the whole camping trip. I lived the whole weekend on beans. But, I changed my mind by the next trip. I got used to it," Robert explained while he continued to work.

"I think I am going for a walk. If I continue to watch you do that, there is no way that I will ever be able to eat it," Lucas said as he rose to his feet and walked back the way they had come.

"Fine, but don't leave the trail or wander too far. I don't need you getting lost; Dad would kill me," Robert warned.

"I will be fine."

"Be back in an hour; dinner will be done, and it will be getting dark."

"Okay."

Lucas began walking down the trail toward the steam that they had seen earlier. He sat near the bank and looked over the water. Ever since he was a small child, Lucas had loved the water. Looking at the water suddenly took him back to when he was a child. _He remembered when he was eight-years old, his grandfather had taken him to an aquarium that had dolphins. He had sat there with him for hours watching them swim. His grandfather had died of a heart attack not a month later. The loss was hard on him. His grandfather saw him a child, not as a prodigy or boy genius_. _He had fallen in love with dolphins that day. _That trip had inspired him to create the vocoder. Lucas glanced down at his watched and realized he needed to head back.

"How was your walk?" Robert asked as Lucas walked back into the campsite an hour later.

"It was okay," Lucas mumbled, walking over to get his plate.

"When you are done eating, we are going to turn in. I have a hike planned for us tomorrow morning," Robert explained.

"Whatever," Lucas said as he realized he had little say in the activities he would be forced to participate in on this endless camping trip.

**********************SeaQuest rocks****************************

The next morning came once again too early for Lucas's liking. Robert got him up just after daybreak to eat, then head out on a hike. They walked through the woods; tall trees surrounded them with a small view of the mountains. Some of the trees were so tall, they appeared to kiss the sky above them. The day was complimented by the clear, blue sky and a distant view of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Occasionally, they stopped just to enjoy the scenery. One time, they even spied a doe with her young fawn drinking from a trickling spring. They walked up to the top of an overlook point for the park. They could see buffalo grazing, one of the few free-roaming herds still in existence. They stayed there to eat their lunch before heading back to their camp. Robert never got tired of all the beauty around him while Lucas looked like he was barely tolerating any of this. It was nearly dark when they arrived back at the campsite, but what surprised and scared Lucas was that a fire was going at the campsite. Robert walked into camp like nothing was unusual, however, so Lucas followed.

"What are you to boys doing in my camp?" a voice boomed behind Lucas and Robert; they both turned to face the voice.

"I believe we were here first. Therefore, it is_ our_ camp, not yours. If you play nice, we may share it with you," Robert replied and walked over to hug the man.

"Now, is that any way to talk to your father?" Nathan Bridger joked as he hugged his eldest son back, then moved to ruffle Lucas's hair. Then, he checked on the food he had cooking on the fire.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" Lucas asked as he flattened the hair his dad had just messed up.

"Do you really think I would allow my sons to go camping on their own? I mean, I know my boys. You, Lucas, would be complaining the whole way, and Robert here would be driving you mad with hike after hike and no free time. Am I right?" Nathan asked, already getting his answer by the expressions on both of the boys' faces. "I guess I can assume you are not enjoying this camping trip, are you Lucas?"

"No, this is so boring. There is nothing to do except Robert's stupid, long hikes, so now my knee is sore," Lucas complained and rubbed his leg below the knee where his scar from the bullet wound was.

"Did either of you happen to remember to bring anything for that?" Nathan asked, motioning to Lucas's leg.

"No," Lucas admitted "It hasn't hurt in a long time, so I didn't think I would need it."

"Well, you're lucky I brought some just in case," Nathan said, digging through his bag until he pulled it out. "Why don't you use it? Then, we can have dinner. Tomorrow, we will take it easy so that you care rest that knee. It won't do any good if you can't walk."

"Whatever," Lucas said, thinking the camping trip could not possibly get any worse.

"Lucas," Nathan scolded, "cut the attitude, kiddo. I know you are out of your element, but that is no reason to cock an attitude and make everyone around you miserable. Just try to enjoy yourself; otherwise, the time will only feel longer."

"Fine, I will try, but there are no guarantees that I will have any fun," Lucas conceded.

"Don't worry, Lucas, tomorrow will be fun," Nathan promised.

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><p><strong>Review please :)<strong>


	5. Life catches up

**Here is my new chapter I hope you enjoy and please review. I was disappointed that I only got two reviews on my last chapter I hope for at least five for this chapter so remember the three R's (review, review,review).**

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><p>Once again, the morning came too quickly for Lucas's liking. The sun was barely peeking up over the horizon when his father's voice compelled him to wake up from his slumber.<p>

"Come on, Lucas, get up," Nathan called from the campfire, cooking breakfast as Robert walked over.

"You know, I don't know why he is sleeping so much. I have seen him go days with little sleep. Yet, all this vacation, I have had to wrestle him out of bed," Robert commented, perplexed.

"Lucas needs motivation to get out of bed. If you offered him a computer, he would be out here in second. Lucas is just dedicated to his work," Bridger explained. "Lucas, get out here if you want breakfast, _now_."

"I'm up," Lucas grumbled, running his hand though his hair. "What are we going to do today?"

"Well, I thought we could go fishing so we can have fish for dinner, then go on a short hike if your leg is feeling up to it," Nathan said, looking up at his youngest son.

"It feels fine," Lucas insisted as he began digging into his breakfast.

"Good, then as soon as we are done eating, we will head out to fish for our lunch and dinner. Robert, will you get the gear ready? We will leave as soon as we clean up," Nathan instructed.

As they fished that morning, Nathan was told about their adventures so far and Robert's girlfriend Melanie. Nathan was not at all happy with her behavior and questioned Robert about whether or not he was really going to continue the relationship. He laughed at Lucas and his reaction to the deer in the brush. After they caught enough fish, they began to head back to camp. They were almost back to camp when there was a rustling in the brush up ahead. Thinking it was just another deer, Lucas just kept moving forward, but Robert and Nathan slowed, feeling something wrong.

"_Don't_ move. Be very still," Nathan's voice whispered urgently from behind Lucas. Lucas turned and looked at him quizzically.

"Oh, very funny, Dad. What? Should I be afraid of a big, bad dear? You already had a laugh." He rolled her eyes. He turned back quickly, expecting a big joke to immerge from somewhere and kept walking.

"No, you don't understand. Just back away from there slowly," Robert then instructed seriously.

"Why?"

"There is something in the bushes." He pointed nervously.

"Dad, Robert, if you are trying to scare me to get a laugh, it's not working," Lucas replied, continuing forward again.

"I'm not kidding. Do I _look_ like I'm kidding?" Nathan fretted. The leaves moved again. This time, Lucas realized how big this thing must be.

"Well, uh, maybe it's the ranger coming to check on us," Lucas guessed hopefully. He walked towards Nathan slowly.

"Somehow, I doubt it. He is not due until tomorrow. Let's get outta here," Robert said when Lucas reached them.

"I hear ya," Lucas replied.

The massive creature finally stepped out of the bushes, revealing itself in broad daylight. The sun glistened on its back, highlighting endless rows of brown fur. Its enormous body appeared to be the size of a small electric car - or at least through the eyes of Lucas. It seemed that big. The perked-up ears and small, bead-like eyes gave the creature a most-threatening demeanor. Tannish-brown colored fur on the head made its dark, aggressive eyes stand out visibly. It opened its mouth and stuck out a long tongue to draw breath. Two ferocious rows of elongated, sharp, ivory teeth protruded out of its pink gums. The beast's well-furred paws pounded the soil with each thundering step towards the petrified trio.

"RUN!" Nathan yelled. Without a moment of hesitation, they spun around and ran as fast as they could. It didn't matter in which direction they ran - as long as it was away from the beast.

With the famished bear trailing dangerously close behind, Robert gave Lucas a firm push whenever he lagged in his speed.

Scared as he was, Lucas was not going to let the fatigue set in, regardless of how tired his legs were.

Robert was ahead of Lucas, and Nathan was trailing behind them both when the worst thing imaginable happened. All it took was one, brief turn of the head. In doing so, Lucas inadvertently tripped over his own feet and tumbled onto the ground, eating a mouth full of dirt. Nathan rushed headlong, ultimately tripping over Lucas in the process and came crashing down beside him, making Robert turn to them and head back

"Come on. Get up. We gotta keep running," Nathan insisted with stress written all over his voice as he rose to his feet. He reached over and grabbed Lucas under the armpit to hoist him up.

A loud warbling roar from above stopped them dead in their tracks. All three turned their heads simultaneously to find the creature standing on its two hind feet directly over them. It roared as thick drool came dripping out of the corner of its mouth. How did it catch up with us so fast? Lucas wondered as hope started to slip away from his grasp.

The survival of the fittest instinct returned to his mind.

Lucas saw the bear raise a mighty paw. There was no way of escaping. The beast was too quick. But, then, Nathan knew what he must do. He pushed Robert and Lucas ahead as they all ran in different directions, attempting to confuse the beast. The bear began to chase after Lucas, whose leg was slowing him down. The bear gained on him, its powerful, curved claws struck Lucas's right shoulder blade, shredding his gray sweatshirt and ripping open his flesh.

The pain tore through his body almost instantly. He let out a sharp cry. The blood came. Nathan and Robert headed toward the scream. It didn't take them long to realize the bear had gone after Lucas. Lucas had a hard time keeping up his strength. He coached himself to not pass out. Lucas looked up, and the first thing his eyes met was the bear looming over him as his vision darkened to black.

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><p><strong>Review please.<strong>


	6. AN

I want to apligize for not updating yet. I have had a rather nasty cold the last week and was unable to work on my story. I am working on fininshing the next chapter now and hope to have it to you by Saturday. I apoligize for that awful cliff hanger.

Nicolestarshooter


	7. A Long Wait

**Okay so I finally have you a new chapter. I am so sorry for the delay. I hope you all enjoy and thank you for reading.**

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><p>The bear once again brought down his paw on Lucas's prone form. As the boy lay unconscious, his father and brother were racing towards him when a shot rang out, and the bear collapsed on top of the boy as a man walked out of the woods towards the scene.<p>

Lucas felt warm and comfortable when his senses slowly returned. For a millisecond, he thought it had all just been a bad dream, but reality soon hit and a stab of pain tore through his body when he tried to move. He couldn't tell how long he'd been unconscious, but the warm rays of the sun were already blazing through the trees and beaming on his skin. He felt movement around him as he lay on the hard ground. He attempted to slowly get up, feeling every inch of his battered body ache. He looked around as if hoping to find a different scene than what he saw before he collapsed. He was pushed back down though by gentle hands and his dad's smooth voice.

"Lucas you need to lay still; we need to get you bandaged before we can move you, kiddo," Nathan said as he ran his hand though the boy's hair.

"Dad?" Lucas said in a quiet voice.

"I'm here, now hold on Robert and I are going to get you patched up." Nathan reassured his son by taking his hand. Nathan had sadly been in enough of these situations to know that when Lucas was hurt this bad, he was scared and got clingy.

"I've radioed for a helicopter," an unfamiliar voice said. "They will be landing in a clearing about a mile from here. The medics will come here with a stretcher. They should be here in about 30 minutes."

"Thank you," Bridger said to the park ranger.

"I have been tracking that bear for a week now. I am so sorry this happened since it has never come this close to the camps before."

"Why did no one warn us about a rogue bear when we came in?" Robert questioned.

"They should have, and as soon as I get back, I will give them all a tongue lashing," she said.

Lucas wondered how many pints of blood he'd lost. The amount of bloodstains on his shirt scared him. He'd never seen this much blood come out of a body before. What if the plane doesn't come? Dizziness hit him like a tidal wave each time he turned his head. It was so bad that he had to squint to see straight. The gash on his right shoulder where the skin was gone throbbed and stung like mad as the ranger worked to bandage and immobilize the wounds. With his immobile right arm glued to his body, he gritted his teeth and swallowed the pain. Lucas wasn't sure how much longer he could continue as he was getting awfully tired. He swallowed whatever saliva his mouth was able to produce. His parched throat yearned for a wet drop of water.

"Can I have some water?" Lucas asked. Even his lips had lost their healthy rose tint. As Nathan moved to get the canteen, Lucas began to panic. "Don't go!" Lucas whimpered as his heart raced, making it more difficult to supply his lungs with an adequate amount of oxygen.

"Lucas, you need to calm down and breathe. I am not going anywhere," Nathan instructed to his now panicking son and motioned for the ranger to get the canteen. Lucas grunted and cursed out loud when Robert accidentally pressed down too hard, but slowly, his breathing slowed down. "Good, you just lay back and relax, and will be here soon."

"Here's the water," Robert said as he handed a canteen to his dad, who was leaning over his little brother.

"Thanks," Nathan said to his eldest son as he helped Lucas to drink it without moving him too much. "That good; easy now," he instructed.

"I'm so tired," Lucas said once he finished drinking, and he slowly started to close his eyes.

"No, Lucas," Nathan said, running his hand though Lucas' hair, attempting to keep him awake. "I know you are tired, but you need to stay awake, at least until help arrives."

"How much longer?" Lucas asked.

"Not long; I just got news over the radio that they have landed, and it should take them about ten minutes to get here," the ranger said. "You are doing really well; now just hold on a little longer, and we will get you to a doctor."

"Dad, can you get Doc here once we get to the hospital?" Lucas asked, and the ranger gave them a questioning look.

"I will get a hold of Kristin as soon as we get to the hospital. I know she will come as soon as she can. You work so hard keeping her in business and all," Nathan tried to joke.

"You know, not long ago, I always wanted a scar, but now I would have just settled for a tattoo," Lucas said as his voice started to get lighter and began to drift off again, and he fell back unconsciousness.

"Lucas, you need to stay awake," Nathan said with more urgency in his voice. The EMT's should be here any minute. Lucas, wake up; come on, kiddo, wake up." But, Lucas did not stir.

"He is losing too much blood," Robert said. "I think he nicked an artery in his shoulder, and I haven't been able to stop the bleeding. All I can do is keep pressure on it until we can get him to a hospital."

A few minutes later, two men came rushing through the woods to the group carrying a stretcher and medical equipment. They went straight to work on Lucas putting him on the stretcher and taking his vitals.

"We need to get moving since he has lost so much blood; there is nothing we can do here. We need to move, _now_," one medic said as they began moving Lucas with Nathan and Robert following.

Nathan turned quickly and thanked the ranger who had killed the bear before rushing after his son. Ten minutes later, they had Lucas loaded onto the chopper with Nathan and Robert. It was then a twenty minute flight to the nearest hospital. About halfway there, Lucas began to wake up. When he regained consciousness, he couldn't figure out where he was. He thought he'd died but quickly nixed the thought when that all too familiar feeling returned-_pain_. The fact that he was being bounced around in some contraption made it difficult to not feel every prick and pinch in his wounds. He tried to move away from a pressure on his shoulder but was met with his father's calming voice.

"Lucas, we are almost to the hospital; you need to lie still for me, okay?" Nathan instructed. Lucas was strapped to the stretcher, and Nathan was afraid he would panic at the prospect of being tied down. "Lucas, can you try to stay awake for a little longer 'til we get to the hospital?"

"Dad?" he whispered.

"I'm here, Lucas." Nathan said, grabbing his hand.

"Don't go," Lucas pleaded as the world started to get hazy again.

"I'm staying right here," Nathan encouraged, squeezing his hand. "And Robert is here too."

"Robbie?" Lucas asked.

"Right here, baby bro," came Robert's reply.

"Hurts," Lucas said as he tried to fight off the darkness to no avail as it overcame him once again.

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><p><strong>Please Review. Please!<strong>


	8. A Tearful Wait

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. Here is another new chapter all for you wonderful readers. I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>The ride to the hospital was endless to both Robert and Nathan. Upon arriving, Lucas was rushed off. Nathan kept his promise, and once he filled out the necessary paperwork, he found a vid-phone and called Kristin since she was also on vacation visiting her daughter.<p>

"Hey, Captain Bridger, how is the camping trip going?" Cynthia asked as she answered the vid-phone.

"Cynthia is your mom there? It is urgent," Nathan said as Cynthia finally took notice of the blood on the captain's clothes.

"Yes, of course," Cynthia said, praying that no one was seriously hurt. "MOM, Captain Bridger is on the phone," she called.

'I wonder why; his camping trip does not end for another four days,' Kristin muttered to herself as she walked to the vid-phone from the other room.

The first thing that Kristin saw was the blood on Nathan's clothes. "My God, what happened?"

"There was a bear loose in the park that no one had warned us about, and we were attacked," Nathan began.

"Lucas and Robert?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Robert is fine, but Lucas was attacked, and the bear hurt him pretty badly before the ranger shot and killed it. Lucas asked if you would come," Nathan explained.

"Of course, I will be there as soon as I can," she confirmed. Where are you?"

"They flew us up to Jackson, Wyoming since it was the nearest hospital. I need to go. A nurse just walked up to speak with me. See you soon, Kristin."

**************_seaQuest_ is AMAZING**************

"Who is here for Lucas Bridger?" the nurse asked.

"We are," Nathan replied as he hung up with Kristin. "How is my son?"

"The doctors are working on him now. He is weak, but holding on. It is going to be a while before they finish with him. We can get you some scrubs for you to change into. Then, you can wait in the room that he will be in once we are done treating him," the nurse explained as she led them to a changing room.

Once they were in the hospital room and waiting for Lucas, Nathan really started worrying. He had been acting in military-mode first, and he'd put his emotions on hold. But now, he was in father-mode, and all he could do was worry about whether or not his son was going to live. Nathan just looked around thinking about how Lucas had spent way too much time in hospitals over the course of the last year. And, he was only sixteen. How much was his son expected to endure?

Robert was watching his father sitting deep in thought and worried about him. His dad had been through so much in his lifetime. He'd spent years thinking he was dead. Then, he'd watched his mother die, and finally, he'd spent the last year watching Lucas suffer so much. They finally thought they had dealt with all of his problems, that they'd have a new start, but now, even nature seemed to be targeting his little brother.

"You doing okay, Dad?" Robert asked.

"Just worried," Nathan said.

"Lucas will survive; he always does. You just need to have faith," Robert attempted to assure him.

"It is just so hard to watch him suffer so much. I would gladly trade places with him in a moment," Nathan stated and just watched his hands.

"So would I, Dad, so would I," Robert agreed "What kind of person lets these kinds of things happen to a sixteen-year old boy?"

"I don't know, son, I just don't know."

It was nearly three hours later that Lucas was brought into the room. After that, the doctor took Nathan aside to discuss Lucas's condition.

"Captain Bridger, your son is stable for now, but he lost a lot of blood. He is currently receiving blood transfusions; this is his third one. He nicked an artery in his right shoulder. His shoulder sustained the most damage since the bear's claws tore into the muscle tissue. Then, the second set of lacerations that your son sustained is on his left leg. These were not as deep as what's in his shoulder but it we've deduced the bear must have stepped on his leg because it's broken We've placed it in an air cast for now since we can't put on a plaster cast until the lacerations are healed. Since he's very weak, the next twenty-four hours are going to be critical. That's why we're keeping him in the intensive care unit. He should heal fine, with time, _if _he survives the blood loss," the doctor explained. "I will be his physician while he is here, so if you have any more questions, just ask for Dr. Wright."

"Thank you so much for everything that you have done for my son," Nathan said as a nurse walked in.

"Captain Bridger, a couple of park rangers just came in and said they have your car and equipment and asked me to give you the keys," the nurse stated as she walked up and handed them over.

"Thank you," Nathan answered.

Robert took the keys and headed out to check the equipment and return it. He had rented it and luckily, they were flown to the town where he had rented it from. He didn't want to leave, but it was so hard to watch Lucas lay so still and lifeless on a hospital bed once again. So he drove across town to the sporting goods store to return all this equipment, almost glad he had not bought it because he was sure he would never go camping again.

**************Love _seaQuest_***************

When Lucas began to break through the fog, he actually felt better. The pain had almost disappeared from his system. He felt detached from his body, like he was floating in mid-air, _levitating_. Maybe it was from the helicopter lifting off the ground? He couldn't tell. All he knew was that it felt like his soul had been magically suspended in the air, leaving his body behind. He felt…_free_, like he didn't have a care in the world.

He was _dying_.

"Dad?" His weak voice was hoarse and raspy.

"Right here, son," Nathan replied, the low and solemn tone came from somewhere close.

"Dad," Lucas murmured again. His waxy eyes felt as though they were glued shut. All he saw was darkness.

"It's okay; I'm right here," Nathan reassured him. He imagined the flow of oxygen passing through the tubes inserted into Lucas's nose as the boy drew deep breaths of air.

"Dad. I - I can hear you?I thought I was going to die," Lucas's small voice sounded surprised.

"Of course you can, kiddo. I'm right beside you. And you are not going anywhere," Nathan said with a lighter tone, trying to conceal the bubbling grief inside him at the sight of seeing his precious son this way. He always seemed so small and vulnerable in a hospital bed. Nathan had seen Lucas shot and beat up, but never did he look as breakable as he did now. Nathan quickly reached out and took Lucas's hand and gently squeezed it. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Dad?" He swallowed and exhaled.

"Yes?" Nathan replied.

"Where are you? I can't see you," Lucas groaned, struggling to open his eyes.

Nathan touched the top of his son's right hand carefully. "Here," he answered, gazing worriedly at his battered son's bandaged body. Lucas looked so fragile and delicate that Nathan hesitated to touch him, fearing that the boy may shatter to pieces. He saw Lucas's fingers move slightly acknowledging his father's touch.

Instinctively, he wanted to take the boy into his arms and hug him. But clearly, that was not possible. Lucas was so fragile that he reminded Nathan of an old porcelain doll that Carol's mother had given her.

"But I can't feel anything," the boy whimpered softly.

"Give it some time. It'll come back," Nathan said, trying to restore some degree of confidence. "You're still weak and doped up on medication."

"Where - where am I?" he managed to say while turning his head to face the direction in which his father's voice was coming from.

"In intensive care in Jackson, Wyoming," Nathan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What time is it?" he grunted.

"It's Friday morning, 4:38 AM to be exact. You were in surgery for almost three hours," Nathan answered.

The numbness from the anesthetics was starting to give, and he was beginning to feel his body again. His eyebrows hardened as he felt the dull pain in his side and shoulder.

Just then, Robert walked in with Kristin. She sat down on the opposite side of the bed from Nathan. There were no words to describe the utter torment that spun in her head, staring at Lucas's helpless condition. Remaining silent was the only way she could cope with such an ordeal. She had seen a lot of injuries as a doctor, but this was_ her_ Lucas, and it was always hard to see him hurt. His skin color was a milky olive color, bringing out his pasty purple eyelids accompanied by blackish-gray bags under the eyes. The color of his thin lips drained into a deep plum color.

"Lucas," she whispered and took his hand.

"Doc?"

"Yes, I just got here. How are you feeling, honey?" she asked.

"Tired," he replied.

"Then, you rest; your father and I will be right here," she said, bending forward and planting a kiss to his forehead.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading. Please rate and review. PLEASE! :)<strong>


	9. Panic

**I can't believe how easily this chapter came to me. I hope you enjoy it. **

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><p>The air was unusually thin. Something was plugged up his nostrils, making it feel like he had straws stuck up his nose. There was a hiss of air coming from it, and he finally figured out its purpose. It took him a few seconds to adjust to his breathing aid. He can feel the length of the narrow, plastic tube running from under his nose to across his cheeks and tucked behind his ears. He had a hunch on his whereabouts. Lucas's pasty eyes blinked open. The first thing he saw was his father's blurry face. There was a bitter taste in his mouth. Bacteria. He tried to get rid of the taste by swallowing but that only put a strain on his raw throat.<p>

"Dad?" he boy finally said.

"Hey, son," Nathan whispered.

Suddenly, he felt incredibly itchy all over his chest and arms. Lucas brought his chin down to see what was the source of this tickle. To his horror, he found not one, but a whole tangle of foreign tube-like wires attached to his chest and arms - all the way up to his fingertips. Each had a different-colored tab. The room was a dizzying maze of machinery creating a medley of noises. Every direction had a device of some sort that showed blinking green numbers and displayed multi-colored squiggles. He was constrained, caught like a rat in a trap. Disoriented and filled with a sudden wave of panic, Lucas clutched at the wad of wires on his torso without warning.

"Dad! Help! Get it off me!" Lucas cried hysterically. "Get it off! Oh, my God! Get it off."

"Lucas. Don't touch that. Lucas - listen to me. It's ok." Nathan got up and fumbled with his attempt to get a hold of Lucas's hands before he disconnected something vital.

"Dad! Get these things off of me," Lucas begged desperately, getting worked up, tears beginning to appear in his eyes.

"Lucas. Son. Listen to me," Nathan raised his voice while grabbing both of Lucas's wrists - one in each hand. "I know you're scared. Hey - listen to me. You're scared - I know that, but it's important that you don't touch these," he reasoned. Lucas whimpered weakly, but continued to struggle to get free.

"Listen. Stop it. It's ok. You're going be ok," Nathan convinced as Kristin reappeared in the room, moving to the boy's side.

When the burst of energy passed, the taxing activity in addition to the pain in his shoulder and leg made Lucas soften up. With labored breaths, the boy started to give in. Nathan, however, noted the still frightened look in his son's eyes.

"Answer me this, are you experiencing any pain because of these wires?" Kristin asked, jumping in to doctor mode. Lucas shook his head and replied, "No."

"See. They don't hurt. So, you're, going stop fighting us, ok? Or we're going to have to put soft restraints on you to strap you down. And we know you don't want that. You're going to be fine."

"Dad, Doc," Lucas squeaked softly, growing more and more fragile by the second.

"Shhh, I know, baby. I know. You are going trust me on this, ok?" Kristin lulled.

"Dad, you're hurting me," the boy muttered. Nathan hadn't realized he'd been squeezing the boy's wrists that tight. Nathan cursed himself for being so rough with the injured child.

"Sorry," Nathan said sheepishly and loosened his grip. "I'm going to let go now. You promise me you won't try to remove anything?" Lucas gave a short nod, and Nathan let him go.

He only stared in awe at the miscellaneous tubes and wires attached to his skin, which snaked in and out of his hospital gown. He saw the thick, padded gauze bandage taped over his wound. It seemed to cover almost his whole right shoulder. The scared and confused boy searched for answers in his father's and Kristin's eyes.

"I can see the fear in your eyes," Nathan commented while stroking his son's cheek with the back of his hand. "Lucas, it's ok to be scared. But you are going to be alright. You are stuck with me, kiddo."

He wanted to cry and cry. But he couldn't. There was not enough energy in his body to allow it. Either that, or there weren't enough tears left in his tear glands.

"Now, Lucas, I know the purpose of each and every tube and wire here. How about I explain to you what these are for so you don't have to be afraid? Would you like that?" Kristin said. The boy nodded.

"OK. You see these red clips here on your chest? They're called ECG pads. The ends are attached to that beside monitor. Its purpose is to monitor your heart. You're probably wondering why there are five ECG pads on you. Two to seven is the usual number of pads we need to stick on a person to sufficiently monitor the heart. The green one over here is to measure your respiratory rate, also connected to the bedside monitor. These two yellow-tabbed tubes inserted into your neck are called dialysis catheters. These tubes are attached to that dialysis machine over there." Kristin talked slowly and pointed to the various wires corresponding with each machine. Lucas watched and listened. "It acts as a filter – kind of like the water purifier we have at home. It takes your blood, removes the toxins, and puts the clean blood back into your body. Just your basic computers at work"

"Mm-hm."

"You see that colorful monitor there? That's the bedside monitor. Just about everything that is connected to you is connected to it. It displays all the important stuff, like your heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature. That's your IV, where your medication passes through. Oh! And see that funny looking bag hanging over there. Not the yellow one, but the clear one? That's a blood warmer and -"

"I need a blood warmer?" Lucas asked curiously.

"Yea. You started hemorrhaging, and we had to give you a blood transfusion. You lost nearly two and a half units of blood. That's a lot of blood for someone your size. The blood bank has a whole stash of different blood types saved just for emergencies. Well, how do you like that? You just had a nice helping of warmed blood."

"You - you make me sound like - like something out of a science lab," he breathed.

"The body warmer was used when you had the transfusion, but now, it's just for warming up the IV fluids going into your body now since your body temperature is a bit low," Kristin continued.

"Oh, where is Robert?" Lucas asked.

"He went back to a hotel room to get me a change of clothes," Nathan explained. "He should be here soon, kiddo."

"You don't have to stay the whole time, Dad," Lucas said with a huge yawn. "I will be fine."

"I want to, kiddo, as long as you are here, I will be too," Nathan said as a knock came to the door.

"Excuse me, I am looking for Robert. He called me about an accident, and I just flew out here. I am Melanie, his girlfriend," Melanie said with a smile.

"I am Robert's father. He went to our hotel room, but should be returning soon," Nathan explained and turned back to Lucas. "Why don't you get some sleep, kiddo? "

"Okay, Dad" Lucas said, moving down in the bed, drained from his earlier panic.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading please please rate and review.<strong>


	10. A change of Events

**I can't believe how easily these last two chapters have come to me. I am happy to get them to my readers. You all rock I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Kristin and Nathan left Lucas's room to wait with Melanie for Robert to arrive.<p>

"How long have you been seeing Robert?" Nathan asked.

"Well, about two weeks after he moved into town, we meet at a coffee shop. The waitress had mixed up our orders, and we just started talking and hit it off. We have had a few dates and have gotten close," Melanie explained with a sweet smile on her face.

"So, what has Robert told you about himself?" Nathan continued to question her.

"Not a lot; since he worked for the military, he said a lot of his work was classified. He does talk about his brother and father a lot, though. He seems so impressed with his brother's accomplishments. He is always talking about Lucas," Melanie said with a hint of resentment in her voice.

"Yes," Kristin said. "Those two were meant to be brothers; they have gotten so close over such a short amount of time."

"Melanie, what are you doing here?" Robert asked as he walked up to the group.

"When you called saying you would be delayed because of the accident, I wanted to make sure everyone was okay," Melanie explained.

"Well, it's not. My younger brother is fighting for his life, and I don't have time to deal with your problems right now," Robert said as he handed his dad the extra clothes.

"Well, I will go change then Kristin and I will go get some air," Nathan said and walked out with Kristin. Robert headed into Lucas's room with Melanie following.

"What do you mean _my_ problems? _You_ are the one who is obsessed with yourself and your family. Every conversation we have is Lucas this, or Dad that. You need to grow up and cut the leash your family has on you," Melanie spat.

"GET OUT! We are through! Go home! I don't want you here," Robert said. "You are going to wake my brother."

"Fine, have it your way, but you haven't seen the last of me," she said, storming out and slamming the door.

Robert turned toward the bed as he heard a moan.

"Robbie?" Lucas mumbled.

"Yea?" Robert replied as he played with Lucas's hair.

"Sorry."

"Sorry?"

"For many things. Causing so much trouble and breaking your rules," Lucas blinked. "I brought my computer. I wasn't supposed to."

"Lucas, let's not talk about that now. Right now, I want you to get well. Can you just concentrate on that for me?" he spoke ever so softly.

"I know it was wrong to disobey you and will do whatever you want for the rest of vacation," Lucas breathed and licked his dry lips.

Really? Robert couldn't believe after all this time the boy was worried about whether or not Robert was mad at him for bringing something as silly as a computer. Here was a young boy in critical condition lying in intensive care with a thousand tubes and wires attached to his body, not to mention being clawed to ribbons by a ferocious wild animal-_twice_, and all he wanted to know was whether or not he was in trouble. It was heart-wrenching, almost painful, to hear those words come out of his brother's mouth. He's been through so much already.

"Don't worry about it. I think we can work something out later."

"OK. You can make me do whatever." Lucas winced from the dull pain from his shoulder when his brother tried to hold his right hand. "But it'll have to be when I'm better - a lot better. I feel like crap right now."

"Like I said, we'll discuss it again after you recover," Robert replied. "Dad's been worried sick about you. He and Kristin went out for some fresh air. They'll be happy to know you woke up again."

Lucas kept quiet but attempted a smile.

Lucas's attention went back to the tangle of tubes attached to his body. Looking at them made him nervous. None of the inserted tubes or probes seemed to hurt but he looked like a freaky science experiment.

"What'cha thinking?" Robert inquired.

"That I feel like Frankenstein."

"Really? I thought you were Frankenstein and your friend Nick was Wolfman. You two are quite the pair of monsters. I think Dad would agree," Robert joked with a wild, dramatic air. Lucas choked on a giggle before wincing.

"God, Robert, don't make me laugh. It hurts when I laugh," he said through clenched teeth. He closed his eyes to hold back the pain.

"Oh, sorry. Sorry. Are - are you OK? I didn't think I was that funny. You usually hate my jokes."

Lucas remained quiet after that. Lucas thought about everything that happened in the past year and a half. Being shot and kidnapped twice. Finding a family with Robert and Nathan. "Oh, hey, what's with the waterworks now?" Robert said.

Lucas couldn't bring himself to saying it. He was too ashamed and embarrassed to admit it after all this time. Perhaps it was too late to tell his brother that he, too, loved him dearly. His lips quivered and more tears fell as Nathan walked into the room and quickly went up to the bed.

"It's OK. I know you are trying to be brave about all this and act like it's no big deal. But it _is_ a big deal, and you don't have to pretend anymore. I understand what you're going through. I know you're scared. I'm scared too. I haven't had a good three minutes of sleep in the past twenty-four hours worrying about you so much." Nathan mistook his son's crying for fear. It seemed like each tear Nathan wiped off the boy's cheek, another appeared to replenish the one that was lost.

"Don't cry. You know, it breaks my heart when you cry. Please stop. I beg you, kiddo," Nathan spoke softly.

Lucas inhaled a breath. "I'm sorry," the boy sobbed quietly. _I'm sorry for being such a nuisance since we met. I'm sorry for taking you from your other son. I needed and wanted your love most of all. The more you tried to be part of my life, the more I kept trying to mentally push you away. You had your heart and arms open, but I was blinded by the grief I'd experienced in the past. I was always reluctant. I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry for pulling you down with me. I'm sorry for this mess. I'm sorry, _Lucas thought. These were the words he wanted to say. Somehow, he just couldn't.

"Why are you apologizing? I won't have you apologizing anymore, especially since you didn't do anything wrong. Is that clear?" Nathan asked rhetorically. "Now if only you could stop crying. Is there anything I can say or do to make the tears stop? Wanna hear a joke? Or maybe another impersonation?" he added with sarcasm.

"No - that's alright, Dad," Lucas sighed. The final couple of tears rolled off the corners of his eyes and got caught between the breathing tube and his cheek. Nathan absorbed the droplets with a tissue. "Where is Kristin?"

"She volunteered to go get lunch while I stayed here with you, kiddo."

Suddenly, fatigue got the better of him, making him insanely tired.

"Sleepy?" Robert asked.

"Exhausted," Lucas drawled.

"Then, sleep. Get some rest. You'll have more energy when you wake."

Lucas let out a low, "Mmmm."

"Dad?" Lucas murmured softly.

"Yep?"

"You better get some sleep. You look horrible," Lucas grunted.

"What? Look who's talking! And you think I look horrible?" Nathan grinned at the semi-conscious boy.

"I love you," Lucas moaned. Nathan's eyes widened as those three words echoed in his brain.

"I love you too, kiddo," Nathan stammered, hoping Lucas would hear him, but it was too late. The boy had already drifted off to sleep.

_Lucas pulled through - not exactly with flying colors, but he's conscious and talking. Lucas's a fighter, and he will continue to hang on. The worst is over, _Nathan thought.

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><p><strong>Please Please Please review. Did I say PLEEEEEAAAASSEEEEE!<strong>


	11. From Bad to Worse

**This the longest chapter I have ever written. I hope you all enjoy and it was worth the wait.**

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><p>Lucas had now been in the hospital for three days. Nathan would have liked to have kept pretending that things were going well. Lucas was in and out of consciousness every so often. Kristin was granted the endless opportunity of fussing over the boy in trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Nathan, Kristin, and Robert did all the talking while Lucas did most of the listening. They knew the boy was short of breath and would rather keep his replies curt and to the point. So a series of "yes" and "no" answers were expected.<p>

Everyone gave Lucas the benefit of the doubt and fooled themselves into thinking that he was improving and on the way to a speedy recovery. They often spoke in the future tense to discourage any negativity. Robert and Nathan promised Lucas they would do all sorts of activities together once he was better.

Although he tried to appear strong, Lucas looked increasingly helpless lying in that big hospital bed with a face that was growing paler than the white bed sheets by the moment, which didn't go unnoticed by his family. They had doubts regarding his condition, but kept a chin-up and convinced themselves that he was going to be fine. Kristin probably knew the most of what was going on. Robert was the true optimist of the group. He rid his system of all negativity and turned into a chatterbox in front of Lucas, reminding Nathan a lot of Lt. Krieg. He just smiled and stared attentively to be polite. Robert often sensed this and slowed down. Lucas didn't entirely dislike the attention he was getting. He would be lying if he said he wasn't. It was the one time everyone seemed to bend over backwards for him. He was the fallen warrior.

Nathan sat at his usual spot next to his son's bed watching the boy sleep. He was glad Lucas was resting and recharging himself. The boy was breaking and melting the hearts of everyone he came into contact with.

Nathan witnessed Lucas's weakest moments. One was on the first dressing change of his wounds. Kristin and Robert had left for lunch at a restaurant down the street. Nathan caught a glimpse of the patch-up work done on Lucas's leg when the nurse removed the old bandage. Since the skin had been torn apart so severely, extra skin was needed to mend the raw areas. Hence, skin was taken from the boy's opposite thigh and grafted onto the gashes so the wounds would heal properly. Uneven sheets of slightly bloated skin surrounding the stitches were a combination of pink and lavender as a result from being recently transplanted. Although the puffiness of the inflamed area would disappear within time, the scarring would no doubt remain. Appearing like a row of clear-colored miniature staples, the stitches were visibly placed one right after the other – very neatly and carefully done. Although the stitching was superbly finished, the aftermath of the surgery looked far worse than the initial injury sustained. Nathan felt tingly all over just looking at it. If one was not mentally prepared for the grotesque sight, one may find it sickening enough to induce vomiting.

Lucas was obedient and cooperative during the application of the thick antibiotic ointment and changing of the bandages. He was cautioned not to look down at his wound, as the deformity may be unnerving. Nathan distracted Lucas from his curiosities with amusing naval school stories. After the nurse was finished with Lucas's shoulder, she proceeded to tend to the wound on his right shoulder. In order to change the bandage on his shoulder, Lucas had to be moved over onto his side. With Nathan's help, Lucas was strategically shifted onto his side. The pressure applied to the left side of his injured leg caused the boy to let out a loud and unexpected shriek, which startled Nathan. The pain appeared so intense that Nathan feared his son would pass out on the spot. Nathan did everything in his power to both support the weight of Lucas's lower body as well as keep the vital wires and tubes from detaching while the nurse changed the dressing. Sobs rattled Lucas's speech as he begged his father to make the pain go away. Nathan tried to comfort his son and explained how necessary it was to change the bandage and keep the wound clean. But the more he talked, the harder Lucas cried. Nathan made a mental note at this to talk to Kristin about what to about dosage of painkillers Lucas was getting so the poor kid didn't have to go through this everyday.

Nathan found it hard to tear himself away from the boy's bedside. In the event that Lucas should wake, he didn't want him to see that he wasn't there. Nathan's time was whittled away by playing with Lucas's long knobby fingers or running his hand through his hair as he sat in silence watching Lucas sleep. After several hours, Nathan decided it was time to take a break and see what Robert and Kristin were doing. Besides, it was way past dinnertime, and there were noises coming from his empty stomach, but just then, Robert and Kristin walked through the door with dinner.

"How's it going, Dad?" Robert asked.

"As good as can be expected," Nathan said with a sad expression. "He is sleeping now."

"I called _seaQuest _today and Admiral Noyce to tell them we would not be back for a while. I also called my employer and when this is over, I am going to need a new job-unless I am back there in two days, which is not going to happen I wouldn't dream of leaving."

"Okay, thanks for that. I just can't bring myself to leave him just yet. I know he is going to be fine eventually, but it is too hard," Nathan said.

"It's okay, Dad."

(_Robert's earlier call to__** seaQuest**__)_

"Hey, Robert," Tim said as soon as he saw who was on the line. "How is your vacation going?"

"Not good, I'm afraid. I need you to get you Ortiz, Ford, Crocker, Hitchcock, and Krieg in the ward room. I have something important to tell all of you."

"Okay, I will put you on hold; it will take a few moments to get everyone together," O'Neil replied, turning on the intercom to page all he crew together.

Twenty minutes later, the group sat around the table of the_ seaQuest_ ward room, wondering why Robert needed to talk to them. As soon as they were all ready, O'Neil patched Robert though.

"Hey, Bobbie, what is going on?" Ben asked.

"Nothing good; we encountered a bear up in the woods where we were camping. Lucas was attacked." Everyone in the room gasped audibly. "And he is not doing so well. He was cut up pretty badly on his right shoulder and leg."

"Is he going to be alright?" Miguel asked.

"He has shown improvement. The doctors said the main worry is infection, and as long as they can prevent that, he will heal with time."

"Where are you guys at?" Ben asked, knowing he was going to request leave to go see Lucas.

"Jackson, Wyoming, but I talked to Admiral Noyce before calling you and as soon as Lucas is strong enough, he is going to have him moved to New Cape Quest," Robert replied.

"Robert, we need to head back to the hospital, or your father will never go and get something to eat," Kristin said from the back ground.

"Okay," Robert answered her. Then, he turned his attention back to the screen. "I will send news as soon as anything changes. Bye." And with that, cut the link.

"Dad, the Park Ranger that helped us the other night – Fredricks-I think she said her name was – came by looking for you. I told her you were with Lucas," Robert stated as he walked into Lucas's room.

"Oh? What did she want?" Nathan questioned curiously.

"She just wanted to know Lucas was doing."

"Really? That was nice of her. Did you tell her for me?" Nathan questioned.

"Of course, Dad."

"I guess so. I'll give Ranger Fredricks a call later to thank her for all she has done," Nathan decided.

"Lucas is still sleeping?" Kristin walked in, observing Lucas's condition.

"Yea. He's amazing. Did you notice how he was trying to act fine and dandy in front of us today? It's so obvious that something's not right. It's like he's lost the wise-ass, smart-aleck spunk that I'm so used to. His spirit is just not completely there." Nathan said, brushing away hair that had fallen in Lucas's face.

"Of course his spirit is a little weak. He barely survived the bear attack. It's going take time for Lucas to be Lucas again. I know you're anxious for him to recover, and it's a normal feeling. One day at a time, okay?" Robert replied, catching a nod from Nathan.

"Can you believe he lost nearly half the blood in his body?" Nathan said, shaking his head in dismay. "Seeing him lying there on that bed breaks my heart. It hurts, Kristin It really does," he vented.

"I know. It breaks my heart, too," Kristin sympathized.

"If you only knew how agonizing it was to watch him writhe in pain when his bandages were being changed. It must've been hurting something fierce because he cried so terribly. I don't think I've ever witnessed Lucas cry like that. It's scary."

"I can imagine. I wish there was something more I could do to make Lucas feel better. I always hate seeing any of my patients or friends in pain."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness. You know, come to think of it, I never really did get the chance to say thanks. You've been such a great friend in taking care of Lucas since you met him, helping Lucas – and looking after me." Nathan smiled. "So, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Kristin reddened.

"Have you spoken to Ben?" Nathan changed the direction of the conversation to a lighter note.

"Yea. Talked to him this afternoon, along with the rest of the senior crew. I think he was ready to jump on a launch and come out here," Robert said with a slight laugh as Nathan all settled down for a short nap.

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><p>Nathan, Robert, and Kristin went down to the cafeteria to get some dinner. When they returned an hour later, there were nurses and doctors rushing around. Concerned for Lucas, Nathan rushed into his son's room, slowing in his approach the closer he got. Nathan felt numb as he looked through the large glass window. About half a dozen nurses hovered over Lucas, trying desperately to resuscitate him and draw oxygen back into his lifeless body. Nathan's heart suddenly turned into a chunk of metal and could almost feel it falling to the floor. His world spun around in a dizzying frenzy. Time froze, and he couldn't move. He wanted to burst through those doors and do anything got make his son breathe again, but his feet were rooted into the floor. Fear, shock, and pain shot through his body.<p>

With his nose almost touching the large Plexiglas window, he watched the scene unfold inside room 741. His heavy breath on the glass created a fog. He saw the nurses administer CPR, and when that didn't work, they proceeded with electrical cardioversion to deliver a synchronized electrical shock to restore his heart rhythm. The paddles of the defibrillator were gelled and the hospital gown covering Lucas's torso was ripped open, exposing his bare chest. Monitor leads and conductor pads were attached to the upper torso. The energy level was selected. Nathan was able to hear the shouts coming from the room.

"Charging defibrillator; stand back," the first doctor yelled seriously as she pressed a button on the paddle. "I'll shock on the count of three. One, I'm clear," she said professionally as she checked herself for contact with the patient. "Two, you're clear." She checked those around her for contact. "Three, everybody is clear," she said, checking herself again before continuing. The left paddle was placed on the sternum and the right paddle on the apex of the chest as the nurse pressed the discharge buttons on the paddles simultaneously.

Images of Lucas's life flashed before Nathan – from past to present. One of the last images he saw was of his son's sweet and innocent boyish face grinning mischievously at him with gleaming blue eyes like as if it was his way of saying good-bye without actually saying a word. Then, without hesitation, Lucas turned his back on Nathan and quickly faded away. "NO! Come back!" Nathan heard himself screaming at the disappearing image. He wasn't sure if his vision blurred because of the tears welling up in his eyes or if he was about to faint. **Cloudy**. He felt himself swaying on his feet.

Nathan watched his son's teenage body break into spasms with each jolt of electricity. The nurses repeated the procedure two more times before giving up. The monitor showed a flat line.

**It was over**. Nathan saw the solemn looks on the nurses' faces as they hung their heads down in remorse. They turned off the machines and pulled the electrodes off Lucas's still body. The head nurse caught a glimpse of the boy's father looking through the window. She whispered to another nurse diligently before exiting the room to speak to Nathan. He did not see the nurse approaching him. His eyes were glued to his son's expired body.

Lucas is not dead. He can't be dead. He's not dead! I won't believe it, Nathan repeated in his mind.

Nathan stared at the torn polka-dotted hospital gown revealing Lucas's gaunt, pallid frame. The boy's complexion was an immediate shade of blue. It was surprising how quickly the life gets sucked out of a body once all vital functions cease. It was as if all the life force had left his body in a puff of smoke. Lucas's eyes were half open in a fixed stare directed at the ceiling. Nathan couldn't bring himself to believing that it was his son in there.

"Captain Bridger?" The nurse materialized by his side. Nathan did not take his face away from the glass.

Please wake up, kiddo. Please. I know you can. Don't do this. Wake up, damn it. Wake up! Nathan thought as the horror swept through his body.

"Captain Bridger?" the nurse repeated. "I'm so sorry. He didn't make it. We did all we could. Time of death was 9:52 pm," she spoke sadly as she wiped off the sweat that had accumulated on her shiny forehead with the back of her sleeve.

He turned to the nurse with tears flowing down his cheeks. "NO," he choked.

"I'm sorry," she said with sympathy. "If there's anything I can do – "she began to say. The nurse had short brown hair and a pair of rouge colored thin lips. The fine wrinkles at the corner of her eyes formed crow's-feet, making her look older than she appeared. Nathan remembered her hardened eyes. They were the eyes of a true nurse – eyes that have seen more than their share of turmoil.

Nathan watched the remaining nurses in Lucas's room finishing the last procedures. A nurse placed her hand gently over Lucas's staring eyes and closed them. She then pulled a sheet over the boy's head. That same nurse turned to her colleague, mumbled a few words, and shook her head from side to side in dismay.

The white sheet outlined the contours of Lucas's frail body. He wasn't going to get up. He wasn't coming back. Nathan felt a sharp pain in his chest as the realization settled into his brain, the same pain he felt after he thought Robert was dead, the same pain he felt watching Carol die. He backed away from the glass window until he was back-to-back against the wall. The pain in his chest increased, making it hard to breathe. Hyperventilating, he grabbed at his chest.

"Captain Bridger, are you alright?" the nurse asked worriedly. Nathan only slid to the floor with his back still against the wall. "Captain Bridger! What's wrong? Is it your heart?" the nurse asked frantically as she crouched next to Nathan.

All Nathan could do was cover his eyes with his hands and bawl. "He can't die! He's not supposed to die!" he blubbered. "What am I going to do?"

The nurse held him in a tight and soothing embrace as a few visitors looked on with bewildered curiosity.

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><p>"Dad," a voice called. Engulfed in his own turmoil, Nathan did not hear the voice.<p>

"Dad," the voice said again. Nathan's attention snapped back when he felt someone touch his arm. He turned towards the source of the voice and found Robert with the wrinkled eyes looking back at him. "Wow, you were really out." He smiled.

_Why is he smiling at me? Why is he so happy when his brother, my son, has died? _Nathan thought with outrage running through his system. He was appalled at Robert for being so heartless.

"Huh?" Nathan said as he emerged from a dream state.

"Ah! He talks! What a relief! I thought you were going catatonic on me," Robert joked. Catatonic – that was actually funny. Technically, it was a good doctor joke, and Nathan definitely had to remember it so he could use it on someone else. But a joke was highly inappropriate under the circumstances.

"What?" Nathan said in confusion.

"I was asking you if you wanted to accompany us to the cafeteria, but you didn't hear me. It was like you turned into a zombie or something. You didn't even wake. I was starting to worry about you," Robert smiled again.

"Food? Why do I want to go get food? Can't you see, _my_ Lucas just died?" Nathan's voice faltered. His eyes were wet.

"What are you talking about?" Robert said quaintly.

"My son, Lucas. He's dead. I saw him die," Nathan stifled a sob.

"What? No he's not. Dad, are you alright?" Robert asked with budding concern. He was just as confused as Nathan was. Did he not see what was going on through the window? He'd been standing there for a long time, watching the action.

"He's gone. My boy is gone," Nathan cupped his hand over his mouth to prevent sobs from escaping.

"You've got it all wrong. I don't know what gave you the idea that Lucas is dead. He is very much alive," Robert said earnestly.

"What? W-What do you mean?" he said.

"Why don't you see for yourself? Look," Robert pointed to the bed in front of Nathan.

Nathan looked to the bed for the first time since awakening. The necessary tubes and electrodes were still attached to Lucas's body. The boy was unconscious, but the bedside monitor showed his heart rhythm had been restored.

"He's alive?" Nathan observed. "But how? How is this possible? I saw – I saw." He rubbed his eyes. "He was dead. Am I dreaming? Or is this some kind of sick joke?"

"Dad, you were asleep. It was a dream; Lucas is fine," Robert said.

"Thank God," Nathan said, moving closer to Lucas and taking his hand, feeling comfort in the warmth that proved life. "I don't know what I would do without you, kiddo."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading Please, Please rate and review.<strong>


	12. Realizations

**Enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>Nathan found himself glued to Lucas's bedside once again. He could not shake the terror he had felt during that dream, the same endless agony that he had felt after he thought he had lost both Carol and Robert. This boy lying in front of him brought laughter and joy back into his life when he was ready to just live alone on his island. He was unsure if he would have stayed on <em>seaQuest<em> if Lucas had not come into his room to talk to him that night. Now that same boy, his son, was lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life.

Just then, Kristin walked back into Lucas's room after calling_ seaQuest_ to update them on Lucas's condition. Lucas had developed an infection the night before and had yet to regain consciousness as doctors worked to lower his fever. Robert had stayed at their hotel room since Lucas had been moved to ICU, and only two people were admitted at a time.

"What are you thinking about?" Kristin inquired, while watching Lucas on the bed.

"How much Lucas has changed my life," Nathan stated, not taking his eyes off Lucas.

"Lucas has influence in all of us," she agreed.

"It's not easy. There's so much pain inside of me seeing my son like this. I don't know how to make this pain and anguish go away," Nathan's voice quivered as he covered his eyes with his big, calloused hands.

The heavier the sobs, the better it felt. The feelings and raw emotion Nathan unleashed truly touched Kristin's heart. Soon enough, she found herself bawling her eyes out too. Crying was contagious. Their sobs reverberated through the empty stairwell. From afar, they appeared to be a couple lamenting the ill fate of their beloved child. Nathan and Kristin comforted each other.

Their bodies were exhausted, but neither Nathan nor Kristin could sleep a wink. The wee hours of the next morning ticked away as they sought solace in the isolation of Lucas's room. They watched his chest expand and contract with each breath, proving his continued fight to survive. His rapid eye movement under his pasty purple eyelids exhibited his tranquil but difficult sleep.

"I wonder what he's dreaming of right now," Kristin said softly.

"Oh, he's probably off in some distant paradise, filled with images of Commander Hitchcock," Nathan replied in a low, humorous tone.

"What?"

"He has had a crush on her for a while; it has been so cute," Nathan explained.

"Oh!" A smile spread across Kristin's lips. "Boys will be boys." She played with a tuft of clammy hair on the boy's forehead. "It must be a good dream then."

"He's a regular Casanova – wearing his heart on his sleeve."

Kristin giggled and whispered towards the boy, "I stand corrected. It must be a _very_ good dream. As inviting as it may seem, I know you want to stay there longer, but you find your way back to us real soon, ok? We miss you."

Lucas slowly started to move toward the voices around him. He heard something he thought he would never hear: his father crying. His dad was always so strong; how could he be _crying_? He wondered what could make his father react like this. Then, as he moved further into consciousness, the pain began to return and all the memories rushed back, causing him to let out a moan.

"Lucas," Nathan said, instantly turning to his son.

"Dad?" Lucas replied as he returned to his senses.

"I'm right here, kiddo. How are you feeling?" Nathan asked.

"A little warm, I guess," Lucas started.

"That is because you spiked a fever; it is not completely gone yet," Kristin said, going into doctor mode.

"Dad, I'm sorry for ruining our camping trip," Lucas said quickly.

"No, no. You didn't ruin anything. The bear ruined everything," Nathan joked. Lucas's lips curled up in a misty smile for a second in admiration for his father.

"I know you wanted to spend time with Robert and me, but I was being a real jerk."

"Not at all; you were being a teenager. I shouldn't have forced you to go camping," Nathan replied, trying to not make Lucas feel bad. "Hey, we didn't get to make S'mores and tell ghost stories by the fire and sing campfire songs. Next time, I should remember to bring my guitar, and we can all sing Kumbaya around the fire."

"Yea - a good technique to send all the wild animals running in the opposite direction," Lucas said with sarcasm.

"What? What's wrong with my singing?" Nathan said in offense. "Kumbaya, my Lord, Kumbaya. Someone's singing, my Lord, Kumbaya," he crooned dramatically.

"Doc, can't you make him stop?" Lucas begged. "Please, Dad, no. Stop. Have mercy. It's bad enough; I'm in so much pain. Now you're gonna add to it with your singing. This is abuse," Lucas kidded in a dry voice. "If you don't stop, I'm gonna have to use my secret weapon." He slowly reached for the nurses' call button by his bedside.

"_That's_ your secret weapon?" Nathan teased.

"Go ahead, make my day," Lucas eyed his father with a bold grin and raised his thumb over the little red button.

"Alright. Alright. You win. How can I compete when you're everyone's favorite pet? You have all the nurses' sympathy, and they just love you to pieces," Nathan sighed in defeat.

"I have power," Lucas's soft, feeble voice came out most ironically. The boy's weak hand accidentally lost grasp on the nurses' call button. His delayed attempt to catch the device before it fell over the side of his bed was unsuccessful. His reflexes failed him miserably.

"There you go. You lost your weapon there for a minute," Kristin said as she retrieved the mechanism and placed it back into Lucas's hand. Kristin noted the poor kid's lack of strength.

"Tired?" Kristin asked, stroking his son's cheek affectionately. "Do you want to sleep?"

"I'm not very tired - just groggy. The room is swimming. I feel like I'm high on something," Lucas replied in a mumble.

"It's probably the antibiotics in your system," Kristin explained.

"You should see things through my eyes. It's wild. Do you know who you look like right now?" Lucas replied in an attempt to maintain his spunk. He flinched at the gripe of soreness in his body and closed his eyes briefly. He wanted to be in control, but it was quite difficult when his troubled breathing came in pants. Inhaling air through his mouth, Nathan saw the difficult time his son was having in drawing a breath.

"You have to breathe deeply. Try breathing deeply and slowly," Kristin instructed as she also noticed the problem and smoothed the boy's hair. "Like this..." she demonstrated, taking a deep breath. "Can you try?"

The boy watched and tried desperately to follow the method. They breathed together for a while until Lucas got his wind back. His breathing still sounded ragged, but at least he was no longer gasping for air.

"You know, I was looking forward to trying out that new pack shovel," Nathan said humorously after a pause. Lucas repressed a chuckle and winced.

"Oh, I forgot. Hurts when you laugh, right?" Nathan observed as his son nodded.

"You're gross, Dad," Lucas stopped short to catch his breath.

"If we ever have a desire to implore the wilderness again, I think we'd better just settle for camping out in the back yard. At least this way, we'll have easy access to plumbing," Nathan said undeniably.

"Dad?"

"What is it, kiddo?" Nathan lulled.

"Am I going to be alright?" the boy asked.

"You'll be as good as new," Nathan replied.

"Honest?"

"I'll take good care of you. We're going to get through this. But you got to meet me half way by concentrating on getting your strength back, ok?"

"Ok," Lucas agreed. He stared at his polka-dotted hospital gown and the huge thermal blanket covering his body from the waist down. A thick outline of a bumpy gauze pad was seen protruding underneath the thin fabric of the gown. Lucas allowed his fingers to trace the contour of the bandage on his right shoulder "Is it really true that they had to take skin from my leg to patch up my skin here?" Lucas asked.

"Yea. It was the only way to mend the damage."

"It's gonna leave scars?"

"Yes. I'm afraid so. But look at it this way - there are far worst places to be scarred than on your shoulder. Speaking of which, reminds me of a story. But – ah well – I don't know if I should say it," Kristin changed her mind.

"What?" Lucas asked inquisitively with a peeking interest at the bone that his father threw at him – so to speak.

"It's really funny, and I know how you hurt when you laugh, so maybe now is not the best time for it," Kristin taunted.

"I want to hear it."

"I hate seeing you in pain," Kristin shook her head.

"Maybe later then?" Lucas asked as he started to scratch his shoulder.

"Sure, do you want me to put some anti-inching cream on that? You should not be scratching."

"Yes, please."

"It's ok," Nathan said when he saw the expression of horror etched on his son's chalky face as he witnessed seeing the grotesque wound post-surgery for the first time.

"Oh, my God!" Lucas whimpered in disgust at the repulsiveness of his mangled shoulder. "Is it _supposed _to look like that?" he panicked at the pink and reddish puffy blotches of skin. His breathing quickened as he became more excited and agitated by the second. He alternated horrified glances between his father and his chest not knowing what to do.

"Lucas, kiddo, it's ok. Calm down," Nathan appeased. He saw his son's eyes fill with uneasiness.

"It's really not as bad as it looks. It'll take time for the swelling to go down," Kristin explained.

Mortified, Lucas's face contorted with terror. "I think I'm gonna hurl." A sickening moan passed his lips as he searched for guidance in his father's eyes. His rapid breathing turned into exasperated choking grunts.

"You're not going to be sick. Lucas – listen to me. You have got to calm down. Do you hear me?" Kristin grabbed him gently by the shoulders.

"Can't…can't…breathe. I – I..." Lucas gasped desperately.

"Yes, you can. Come on, inhale and exhale, like we did before," Kristin encouraged gently.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes to get the disturbing image out of his mind.

"That's it. You're doing fine. If it'll help, don't look down. You really didn't need to see this," Nathan coached. "See what happens when you get excited and stressed?"

Lucas suppressed a sharp cry when Kristin dabbed a sterile wedge of foam gingerly around the edge of the stitches to absorb the accumulating pus. Kristin grimaced at the pain she caused and promised to be gentler. Squeezing some of the ointment onto the mended abrasion, Kristin rubbed the medication in a circular motion with a Q-tip. As she applied the cream discreetly, Lucas was practically a bunch of twigs. He obviously lost a tremendous amount of weight in the last few days. The boy looked like he could snap in half if Kristin pressed too hard. The coolness of the cream dulled the heat and the itchiness almost instantly, and Lucas let out a sigh of relief.

"Feeling better?" Nathan assumed.

"Yea. Mm," Lucas groaned. Once his anxiety subsided, he opened his eyes again to find his father busying himself with applying the cream. "So, continue with your story. What happened next?" he added since he was feeling more normal.

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><p><strong>Please Please Please review.<strong>


	13. Confontations

**Here is a new chapter for all my lovely readers. I hope you enjoy. **

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><p>"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Lucas shrieked wildly in his sleep. A quick spasm of terror rippled through his body and with a rigid jostle, the boy was freed from his nightmare. His heart was racing a million miles per minute and adrenaline pumped in his veins. He could hear the pulse thumping in his temples. Bad dream; bad dream. That's all it was – a terrible dream. But if it was a dream, why did it seem so real? He swore he tasted the saltiness of blood in his mouth. The intense dream wracked his nerves so much that he'd forgotten where he was for a moment.<p>

He was on the road to recovery. Although his vitals still had to be monitored, they stuck him in a "more comfortable" room, which meant virtually nothing. The only difference between his new room and the room in ICU was a window facing the outside. The machines were still there pumping, sucking, clicking, beeping, and basically, stabilizing his life force. Feeling significantly better than he had in days, he insisted these devices were no longer necessary and wanted them off his body. Nathan disagreed and paid no attention to his son's ridiculous requirements. The tubes and electrodes were mandatory until Nathan or Kristin said it wasn't.

For a change, Lucas awakened to an empty room. Usually, his father or Robert or Kristin watched him sleep. If his loved ones had stepped out, then nurses would be present, taking turns circling around him like vultures. They prodded, poked, squeezed, pricked, and clutched him without warning or permission. There was a time the process bothered him to the point where it became a nuisance. His body had been tortured and dragged through hell, only to be wrung dry of any ounce of energy he may possess, hence leaving him with as much strength as a snail. All that he wanted to do was sleep. But the nurses, who thought they were being efficient, constantly interrupted his sleep. Once, out of pure frustration and anguish with his disturbed sleep, he woke up wailing like a baby and threw a tantrum. It was very unlike Lucas to act the way he did, but given the circumstances, he only wanted to be left alone. And in that instance, he was quickly sedated with another dose of medication to prevent him from harming himself. It put him out like a light almost instantly.

The nurses' duties consisted of administering drugs, moving machinery around, groping his body parts, taking his blood pressure at all hours of the night, and shuffling noisily about, although that part was unintentional, and rolling him over every once in a while to avoid bed sores and enhance circulation. After a while, he grew accustomed to the hindrance.

Glad that no one was there to witness him talk in his sleep, he quickly shook off the cold chill lingering from his upsetting dream. These nightmares haunted him from time to time and came mostly when he wasn't in a drugged sleep. Lucas hid these dreams from his family. There was no reason for him to dig a deeper hole. He didn't want to add to their worries. They didn't deserve it. Besides, it wasn't like he could actually remember all the contents of the dream. Once he woke, he was only able to recall bits and pieces – _scary_ bits and pieces.

He looked around the room and judging from the faint sunlight peeking through the closed blinds, he decided either dawn must be breaking or dusk must be settling. It was easy to lose track of time.

Lucas closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but the dull, murderous pain in his body bothered him. After a few stubborn minutes of battle, he was ready to admit defeat and pushed the nurse's call button. A tall, skinny nurse flew into the room momentarily. It was always a different nurse. Lucas could never recognize the faces, and he'd stop trying a long time ago. It was no use. But this nurse was different. In fact, she was not a nurse at all.

"Melanie, what are you doing here? Robert is at the hotel, and he said you went home," Lucas said, feeling uneasy as the pain he was feeling worsened.

"I know that. I am here about you, you selfish, worthless _brat_. You don't care about what you have done. Robert and I were doing just fine until _you_ had to show up. You're getting in the way of everything. Why don't you do us a favor and just die?" Melanie spat as she walked closer to the boy. "You just have to have the attention of everyone around you. You are an unnecessary distraction to each and every one of them, on that stupid boat of you father's, distracting all the crew from their jobs-even now. You can't do anything right. So just give up," Melanie said as she moved closer and slapped Lucas across the face. "Just give up."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE!" Robert's angry voice yelled as he walked in just in time to see Melanie slap his younger brother.

"Robbie, it is _not_ what it looks like," Melanie replied innocently.

"LIKE HELL!" Robert replied as a doctor and some nurses walked into the room.

"What is going on here?" the doctor asked, worried about the patient's well-being.

"I just walked in a moment ago to see _her_ slap my brother in the face, and I was just kicking her out," Robert explained, moving closer to his quiet brother who was still holding the side of his face.

"Okay, lady, you are coming with us now," the doctor ordered as he grabbed her arm to escort her out.

"I told you, you worthless trash, always stealing the spotlight," Melanie said with venom as she was taken from the room.

"Lucas, are you okay?" Robert asked as he reached out and ran his fingers through Lucas's hair.

"Yeah," Lucas whispered. "I guess so."

"Do you need anything, buddy?" Robert asked as he saw Lucas grimace in pain.

"I was calling a nurse for meds when she came in," Lucas replied. A nurse who had remained in the room moved to a machine and administered more pain medication.

"Okay buddy, why don't you relax and let the meds work? I am not going anywhere. I will be here when you wake up, and Dad and Kristin will be here soon," Robert said as he helped Lucas lie down and get comfortable. Nathan and Kristin returned a little more than an hour later to find Lucas dozing away in a peaceful slumber. Lucas woke startled.

"Lucas, are you okay? My God, look at you. Your skin is all clammy." Nathan touched the boy's cheek with a gentle hand. "You seem more pale too. What happened to your cheek? Where did you get that bruise?"

"Huh? I am? Oh, it's nothing," Lucas stammered innocently. It was the dream again. He remembered waking up with a cold sweat. Chills ran down his spine as his subconscious tormented him in fragments of hidden languages.

"Maybe I should call a nurse?" Nathan suggested. "Something's not right."

"No! I'm fine," the boy quickly yelled in protest.

"Even your hair is damp." He felt the moisture when he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I told you – I'm okay," Lucas insisted. "The blanket was making me hot, and I was too lazy to kick it off so I'm sweating," he explained. Nathan studied the boy with a careful eye as he dabbed his forehead and chest with a paper towel.

"Wait a minute, Lucas – are you shivering? And where did that bruise come from?" his voice demanded. "Yes, I believe you are!" he answered the question for him.

The nightmare had left the boy a little shaky, but it was typical for someone like Nathan to blow things out of proportion.

"No, I'm not," Lucas challenged. "I'm fine. It's the drugs. That's all. It makes me jittery sometimes." He seemed to have an explanation for everything.

"Well, you don't have a temperature," Kristin observed when she touched the boy's forehead to check for any traces of a fever.

"See, there's nothing wrong with me," Lucas said, catching a doubtful glance from Kristin. Lately, she could read him like a book. Somehow, she knew what he was thinking and knew it when he told a white lie. Maybe it was the maternal instinct factor. "The shakes will go away once the drugs wear off. Always does," he lied.

"I'm just worried about you," Nathan admitted.

"Don't be. I'm fine," Lucas insisted yet again. Yet, he loved Kristin's motherly concern for him, nor did he mind Nathan's fussing. It was definitely something he longed for. He just didn't want to be a burden.

"Dad, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" Robert asked, not wanting to make a scene in front of Lucas.

"Okay," Nathan said, getting up but still uncertain.

Kristin remained in the room with Lucas and watched the men walk out of the room and out into the hall.

"Hey, I brought you some food," Kristin said as she pulled the bedside table closer.

"Is it lunch time already?" the boy yawned. His attempt to stretch his stiff muscles ended in a twitch of pain.

"Actually, it's more like a midnight snack."

"Really? What time is it?" Lucas couldn't tell day from night anymore. The window in his room wasn't much help either since the curtains and blinds were always closed. He didn't see the point of a window in his room when he couldn't even see out of it.

"It's almost 2:30 in the morning," Kristin told him as she checked her watch.

"What? Two-thirty in the morning!" Lucas sounded astonished. "What are you doing here? You should be sleeping instead of fussing over me."

"What!" Kristin mimicked comically. "Would you believe me if I told you I couldn't sleep?" she asked. Lucas shrugged. "I've turned into a bit of a night owl these days. But I'm here because I want to be here. I don't think your father could handle this all by himself."

"You really care about me?"

"Of course I do. I care a lot about you. You sound surprised."

"No. Well, kinda surprised. I mean, it's such a new feeling. I mean, not even my real family before could be bothered with me. Usually, no one gives a rat's ass about a screw up like me."

"Lucas! You shouldn't say things like that about yourself! I am appalled. You are not a screw up – maybe a little wayward sometimes, but _never _a screw up," Kristin declared.

"I'm sorry for putting everyone through this," he said after a short pause. "Dad doesn't show it, but I know he's worried to death. And because I almost died, he's afraid to leave my side. He thinks I could go into heart failure again at any second. He's afraid of losing me. Then, there are times when I didn't think the pain in my body would ever go away, and every one of those times, Dad felt the pain too. I believe it hurt him more than it hurt me. I saw the tears welling in his eyes in seeing me suffer. And Robert, he's sad all the time. He acts all chipper, but it's just a cover. I've never seen him so depressed. They think I don't know, but I can see it. Their eyes don't lie. And now you – you should be home spending time with Cynthia. I didn't mean to take you away from her," Lucas's stammering voice shook. He fought the tears remembering everything that Melanie had said, seeing the truth behind it.

"Sweetie, you're being too hard on yourself. We act the way we do because we love you. Don't worry about Cynthia. She understands that I have other people to take care of. Sadly, she learned that lesson long ago. Besides, right now, you need me more."

"You love me?" Blinking back the tears, he hung on her words.

"Yes, I _do_. And Robert." She always got to the point and wasn't coy about it.

"Then, do you love my dad?" He knew he was treading on thin ice, but he had to ask.

"Let's not discuss that." Kristin's laugh left Lucas more confused than ever.

"Danger zone - I get it. None of my business. Sorry I asked," he said sheepishly.

"You got that right, buster," Kristin said lightly, putting an end to the conversation. "Are you hungry? I thought we should try getting some food into you." She lifted the food cover to reveal a single bowl filled with hot, pulpy soup.

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><p><strong>Please rate and review. Please.<strong>


	14. Moving Forward

**Here is another new chapter for all my loyal readers.**

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><p>After another two days, the doctors decided Lucas was finally strong enough to be flown to New Cape Quest. He would still have to be in the hospital, but Nathan liked the familiar surroundings. The <em>seaQuest <em>was docked in Pearl Harbor for some minor repairs, giving them time to decide the next move. Ben had gotten leave and was planning on meeting them when they got to the hospital as a surprise. It was uncertain when Lucas would be able to return to _seaQuest_, so Ford would remain in command until further notice, though some of the brass were not too happy about Nathan refusing to return until Lucas did. They did end up sedating Lucas for the flight; his fear of flying kept increasing his heart rate and kept putting a delay on his return time.

Once Lucas was settled in the military hospital, courtesy of Admiral Noyce, Ben came in once he was awake and settled. Ben only stayed for an hour since Lucas was still tired.

Lucas thought it was amazing having a friend, other than his dad who was always hovering. Ben promised to come every day until he had to go back to the boat. He said Tim and Miguel would be coming out in a couple days. Lucas began to realize how much he was cared for. It had been months since any of them had shore leave, yet they seemed to all be taking turns to fly to Florida just to see him. It truly touched him.

Lucas was the type who often kept things to himself. As far as Lucas was concerned, there were two types of people: those who felt comfortable being surrounded by a support group to coddle them when life got extra dramatic and those who kept frustrations to themselves but vented thru their habits – like drinking or taking it out on a punching bag. Lucas was neither. He was an independent. He turned away attention or sympathy. His reasons were not so much because he didn't want to deserve it, but because he felt he had to be strong and impenetrable.

He was weak when his mother died, and he hated being weak. He had pushed back emotions when he was kidnapped twice. He hated the weakness he had felt after every beating. He had failed in hiding it. He hated the helpless feeling like the world had collapsed around him. He vowed to be a strong person. The iron walls against fragility were erected so he never had to show an ounce of weakness ever again. He did things himself and never relied on anyone, even when he needed to. He didn't feel like he needed anyone. Threatened by hurt and resentment, he never let his guard down too quickly either. That was the case until the Captain (Dad) stumbled into the picture. Lucas was gradually starting to open up to his dad.

Everyone had a breaking point. Lucas's façade dissolved when he realized at that moment that there was no need for him to act tough anymore. The real Lucas was a scared, fragile young boy who needed so much but requested so little. He didn't ask for love and compassion nor did he ask for nurturing and understanding. Yet, all of these qualities had always been right in front of him. He thought they weren't necessary to survive, but in the end, everyone needs these qualities. He couldn't shut himself away from the world. Maybe it didn't matter to Lucas before, but it mattered to him now more than ever. It made a world of difference for Lucas to know that people loved and cared about him without judgment. Just then Robert, Nathan, and Kristin walked in.

"Hey, little bro, we brought you something you left at my place," Robert said, handing him his personal computer.

"Thanks, guys, now I won't be so bored. How long do I have to stay in a hospital?" Lucas asked again.

"The doctors are saying another week; they want you to heal more and be sure that you can hold solid food down better, before sending you off," Nathan explained.

"Yea, Kristin tells me that you've started holding down solid foods now," Robert brought up.

"Mm-hm. I finished half a bowl of cream of peas," Lucas sarcastically confirmed while turning on his computer. "I'm scheduled for a bowl of chicken soup later. Should be exciting." He gave a smirk.

"I know hospital food is kind of bland. I don't blame you," Nathan said.

"Actually, I have to admit that the cream of peas tasted okay. It wasn't as bad as it looked. But I would prefer a burger," Lucas hinted, giving Nathan a killer smile.

"Whoa, hold on there. You've only begun to eat yesterday. We don't want you to overdo it. It takes time before your stomach gets used to processing food a hundred percent again," Kristin lectured as Lucas gave an unsatisfied frown.

"Doc, right. But - oh - I think we can make a small exception." Robert hated seeing Lucas frown. It was a plus that he was even asking for food. A few days ago, food was the last thing on his mind. "Come on, Doc, Dad, hear him out at least. Lucas requesting food is a huge step forward. That means no more feeding tubes," he persisted.

They both thought about it for a moment.

"Fine; alright, Lucas, but on one condition – I screen your request," Kristin gave in. "What would you like to eat?"

"Let's see," Lucas began. "Twix candy bars, BBQ Pringles, peanut butter, and a large hamburger with fries," he listed. "And, and a large chocolate shake!"

"Son, you have got to be kidding me. If that stuff won't make you throw up, I don't know what will. You have a weak stomach. What do you think will happen when you force down all that junk?" Nathan asked rhetorically. "Lucas, you don't have an iron stomach anymore. It's very sensitive right now, and you have to take care of it. Nothing on that list would help at all."

"Fine, then can I have a toasted English muffin?" Lucas asked.

"Toasted English muffin? That sounds reasonable. Granted," Nathan said as he rubbed his bearded chin he had grown from a lack of shaving.

"Gosh, I'm glad that's settled! It was like you were talking someone out of a hostage situation or something," Kristin teased.

"So, a toasted English muffin with jam," Nathan summarized, ruffling Lucas's hair.

"Dad! Quit messing with my hair!" Lucas hollered and a spasm of pain forced him to let out a nasty-sounding grunt.

"Lucas? You okay?" The look of humor immediately disappeared from Nathan's face. He noticed the boy's teeth clench tightly, outlining his jaw through his cheek. Lucas squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to will away the pain. He heard Nathan call his name. He felt Kristin's hand on his face. He finally opened his eyes to find six pairs of worried eyes looking down on him.

"Honestly, I don't feel so good all of a sudden," the boy said in a low tone.

"Are you in pain? Where does it hurt?" Kristin pressed on.

"I'm zapped. Tired. Is it time for my medicine yet?" Lucas asked.

"No, but you can take a nap if you want," Nathan said.

"Not sleepy. Just insanely tired and run down," Lucas whispered.

"With all the visitors and excitement you had today, I'd be tired too if I were you," Nathan replied.

"I'm kinda afraid if I take a nap now, I might miss Ben when he comes back," the boy said.

"Is that why you won't sleep?" Nathan asked in a surprised tone. "Tell you what, how about I wake you up when he comes?"

"Okay, thanks," Lucas said. "Can you do me a favor?" Lucas asked, still holding the computer securely in his hands.

"Sure – anything. You name it," Nathan said.

"I don't feel like talking. My mouth is tired. Can I just stare at you guys until I fall asleep?" Lucas questioned. His voice was barely audible. The trio looked at each other at the strange request.

"Okay, no problem." Nathan respected the boy's wishes.

The three allowed the boy some quiet time. It didn't take long before Lucas got drowsy. His blinks were slower as his eye lids got heavier and his breathing, lighter. He stared mostly at Nathan. He had so many things to tell him– that he was the best thing that ever came into his life – that he meant the world to him – that he was nothing without him as his dad – and above all, that none of this was his fault. He wanted Nathan to hear it from him.

Finally, he closed his eyes to drift off into sleep. His grasp on the computer was loosening, and it was quite apparent. Kristin took it gently out of Lucas's hands and placed it on the rolling over-bed table.

Kristin leaned in and pressed her lips against the boy's temple. "Sweet dreams, Lucas."

Sweet dreams. Even though Lucas was half asleep, he heard her. He hoped she was right. He could definitely use a few sweet dreams. He'd already had his fill of nightmares that left him scared out of his wits. If only he should be so lucky, but in the end, he wasn't. The bad dreams continued to haunt him. And he knew he'd continue to hide them from his loved ones. The boy took the weight of his world on his shoulders and prepared to battle the massive evil giant of his subconscious alone. As much as he denied it, he will need help. It was deathly still. He'd gotten used to the bleeping sound of his heart monitor, which was yet to be removed. The doctors, however, reduced the number of ECG pads attached to Lucas's chest to just three. The devices were gradually being removed from the boy's body as soon as his strength showed considerable increase. This made Lucas quite happy. The bleeping noise, which was initially an irritating sound, no longer frustrated him. It became a calming background noise – kind of like elevator music in an elevator. However, it was more than he could say for the obnoxious ticking that came from an industrial clock affixed to the side of the wall that he could not see. The harsh and callous ticking of each second added with the stillness of the room made him nervous and irritable. It was the same feeling one gets while sitting in the waiting room of a dentist or doctor's office anticipating their appointment.

Lucas hated the sound of the clock. It wasn't anything like the rhythmic thumping of his heartbeat or the hypnotic humming of air coming through the vent in his room. The ticking seemed to grow louder and louder in Lucas's head making it almost unbearable at times. He wondered if the noise was capable of making someone go mad; then, he decided he would probably be the first. There was a reason why he disliked the sound of this clock.

For some people, a particular smell or the taste of a certain food brought back a childhood memory. Now, whether or not it jogged a good memory, it was up to the individual. For Lucas, it was a sound. He associated the ticking of the clock in his room to a wall clock that hung in the office of his biological father, Lawrence, in his childhood home. The sound was identical. The memories spilled and everything came back. He remembered his childhood yearly. He would sit in a corner while his father worked. He was always quiet because his father was working. His father always worked and Lucas knew if he made too much noise, a nanny would come and take him away. Like any small boy, he had wanted to be around his father and he would do anything to stay with him. As a child, he had to be obedient and allow his father to work. Nathan was the exact opposite. If Lucas was quiet or still while being away from a computer, then he knew something was up. Lucas finally gave way to sleep and cleared his mind, descending into the darkness of dreamland.

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><p><strong>Thank you all fro reading and reviewing. I will continue to update weekly but I am unsure of where this story is going so if any of you have ideas send them to me through pm (So only you and I Know of the possible story line) and I will love the imput. Thank you and don't forget review.<strong>


	15. A Suprise Visitor

**Here is a new chapter for all my lovely readers I hope you all enjoy.**

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><p>Lucas woke once again from a nightmare shaking, happy to see he was alone. He kept having the same dream over and over of the bear attacking him, but unlike his normal dream of the bear coming after him, this time the dream changed; he watched the bear kill his dad and Robert. He was frozen and could only see them torn apart. Lucas just lay in his bed and waited, knowing his family would most likely return soon. Not five minutes later, the door opened to reveal a red-headed woman in her twenties.<p>

"Cynthia, is that you?" Lucas asked, having only met the women once before.

"Hey Lucas, how are you doing?" she asked, walking over to the boy.

"I'm okay, but what are you doing here? I thought you were busy with your kids?" Lucas asked.

"Well I managed to get about a week away to come see my mom, since her visit was cut short," Cynthia joked. "Where is she? I thought she would be here."

"I don't know; I think they all stepped out while I was asleep. They should be back soon. They are never gone for very long," Lucas said, giving her a Cheshire cat grin that was sure to soften anyone's heart.

"Do you mind if I wait here with you?" she asked.

"It's fine with me."

The two did not have to wait long before Robert walked through the doorway. At first, he was startled to see a stranger in Lucas' room, but calmed when he saw that Lucas did not seem to be worried about the stranger.

"Hey, Lucas, who is your friend?' Robert asked, bringing attention to himself.

"Hey, Robbie; this is Cynthia. She is Doc's daughter. Cynthia, this is my older brother Robbie," Lucas said, introducing the two.

"It's actually Robert, only Lucas calls me Robbie, and then my friend Ben calls me Bobbie," Robert rambled.

"Well Robert, it is nice to meet you," Cynthia said, shaking his hand.

"Lucas, Dad and Kristin went to the hotel to clean up; they will be back in a couple hours," Robert informed him.

"Okay," Lucas said and tried to sit up more in his bed. but hissed in pain. Robert quickly moved forward to help his brother to make him more comfortable.

"Which hotel are they at?" I was going to wait till she got here, but if it is going to be a couple of hours, then I will just go meet her there," Cynthia said, not wanting to bother the two brothers.

"They are at the Best Western on Madison Street, room 413," Robert said and then gave her directions. "Well, maybe I will see you later. Bye"

"Bye, Lucas, Robert," Cynthia nodded and left to find her mother.

Robert and Lucas talked for about an hour when his doctor came in to do another examination of Lucas. Robert sat in the corner of the room quietly while the doctor worked. The doctor had met Lucas yesterday when he was transferred to the hospital, and he was touched and amused at how protective Lucas' family was. He could feel Robert's eyes boring into the back of his neck when he examined Lucas as if he was just waiting for him to make a mistake. Lucas had a difficult time again when the doctor started to change his bandages, and he nearly passed out. Once the doctor finished checking him over, he left the room with a nod to Robert.

The doctor continued his rounds and stopped, upon seeing Nathan Bridger enter the floor through the elevator.

"Captain Bridger, I did another examination on Lucas, and I take it you want to know how he's doing?" he said, assuming he was going to inquire about his son.

"Yes, an update would be nice."

"Overall, your son is healing nicely - aside from the fact that he almost passed out in my arms today when I was turning him around after changing the bandage on his shoulder," the doctor began. "Oh, but he's alright now. He wouldn't say what was the matter at first, but I beat it out of him. It was hard to get any information out of him. I almost thought I would have to send your other son out of the room to get honest answer out of him. He says his chest feels tight, and his head's a little heavy. The nurse will give him something to ease the discomfort," he added, as he caught the concerned look on Nathan's face. "He told me not to breathe a word to you because the silly boy didn't want you to worry. But I thought you should know at least."

"I appreciate you letting me know," Nathan said, feeling relieved at the news. "Lucas tends to keep to himself a lot. But I am glad you've managed to pry him open," he stated lightly.

"The poor boy's been having bad dreams. The nurses caught him crying in his sleep on several occasions. It breaks my heart to see him like that, but he seems to ignore the problem while awake. He always has some excuse ready whenever I ask him about what's in his dreams that makes him so sad. He seems so – I don't know the right word for it – so uneasy, I guess – like as if something's bothering him, but he won't say what. I can see it in his actions. He's fidgety. When I confront him about it, he blames it on the drugs," he said. "It's not my intention to load more worries on you, Captain. But like I said, I just thought you should know. On the bright side, if all goes well we can start Lucas' physical therapy on his leg this time next week. "

"I value your observations and concern. I know Lucas has gone through a lot of trauma in the last year. I honestly can't imagine what it was like to be mauled by a bear and live to tell the story. But I will have a talk with him," Nathan sighed.

"Let me know if there's anything else I can do. You have a remarkable son, and I hate to see him get worse," the doctor offered sympathetically as he started to collect his stack of folders on the desk.

"That's very nice of you," Nathan showed his gratitude.

Nathan got to Lucas's door just as a nurse was bringing in his medication.

"Are those for Lucas?" Nathan asked, referring to the pills.

"Yes. It's just Acetaminophen. But it'll help alleviate the discomfort in his head and chest," the nurse replied.

"I'll take it to him," Nathan volunteered. "I see you've got a lot on your agenda today." He nodded to the folders in Nurse's arms.

"That would be great," she accepted the favor.

"Nathan," Kristin called as she walked toward Nathan's room with Cynthia following.

"Well, hello, you two," Nathan greeted. "I didn't expect you to come here so soon. I thought you two would take some time alone before heading here."

"Well, I wanted to check on Lucas first," Kristin said as they walked into his room.

"Lucas here almost passed out today when his bandages were being changed. When he was asked how he felt, he casually brushed it aside, regardless of the fact that he was feeling horrible. His justification for his actions was because he didn't want me to worry," Nathan explained, giving Lucas his best parental look. "Can you believe this one?"

"Lucas, you should know better than that. Your father worries about you, no matter what," Kristin said to Lucas.

"I wasn't feeling horrible. I was just a little under the weather – that's all. You don't have to chew my ear off," Lucas complained.

"Of course I'm going to chew off your ear. Lucas, it's imperative that you say what's wrong, especially in your condition so we can better access the problem," Kristin said as Nathan took the pitcher of water on the end table and poured a glass for Lucas.

"Alright, alright," The boy was tired of arguing when he knew he was never going to win.

"You should take the pills now," Nathan ordered and took a tablet from the paper cup. "Open wide," he instructed.

"What is it?" Lucas asked, as he opened his mouth to receive the medication. Nathan placed one pill into the boy's mouth.

"A pain reliever," Nathan replied as he put the glass of water to the boy's lips and slowly tilted the glass. He did the same with the second pill. Then Lucas yawned and moved down in his bed. Nathan's heart softened. He reached over and kissed the boy on the forehead. "Love you, kiddo."

"Aw dad! Not in front of people," Lucas whined tiredly.

"Sorry, but I couldn't resist. You're so cute when you yawn like that," Nathan laughed.

"Well, then I will try not to yawn anymore," Lucas said sarcastically, trying to get comfortable.

"Well, I don't blame you for being tired. I am a little tired myself," Cynthia said, giving a yawn herself. "It was a long flight here."

"Why don't you go back to the hotel? You can use my room," Kristin said, handing her the key.

"I can take you back," Robert offered. "I was going to grab a bite to eat and then go get Ben before coming back."

"That would be helpful; thank you," Cynthia said with a smile.

"See you later, buddy," Robert said as he ruffled Lucas's hair and walked out with Cynthia close by him. Cynthia and Robert continued walking down the halls and did not see a young women staring intently at them, both with disgust and anger written all over her face.

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><p><strong>Thank you all for reading please please review.<strong>


	16. A New Problem

**Here is a new chapter for all my loyal readers. I love you guys.**

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><p>Once Robert and Cynthia left Lucas's room, Nathan watched the boy fall fast asleep. He closed the window blinds and drew the blanket up to cover Lucas better. Nathan stood there for a moment watching his son's small frame tucked under the blanket. The boy looked innocent and peaceful in his slumber. Nathan leaned over and kissed the top of his son's head softly. Lucas let out a sleepy, "Hmmmm," when he felt Nathan's rough beard brush against his tender skin.<p>

Nathan sat in the dark room thinking, wishing, hoping, and praying. It had been hours since the sun descended the sky. He rested his socked feet on another chair, trying to create a comfortable position. His spine slouched into the back of the cushioned chair, and he rested his head against the top edge of the leathered foam. He still had a good view of Lucas sleeping. After the doctor informed him of Lucas's nightmares, another tidal wave of insomnia hit.

He watched Lucas turn positions in his sleep by himself. The boy was now sleeping on his side with his head facing him. He was able to see his son's face in the limelight cast from the lights in the hall through the rectangular window inset in the door. Lucas had a boyish face and an aura around him that made him look delicate and weak.

Nathan waited. He wanted to see if Lucas really did have frequent nightmares. He needed to witness it himself. The darkness was calming, and his mind followed the soft beeps coming from Lucas's heart monitor. This was the first time that he noticed the loud ticking of the industrial clock on the wall counting out the seconds.

_Gosh, that's got to be annoying_, Nathan thought.

A few hours passed and still no signs of nightmares. Lucas was sleeping soundly. Despite his tiredness, Nathan fought to keep his eyes open nonetheless. His droopy eyelids were eventually winning the battle over his desire for alertness. Finally, he made a deal with himself that he would just rest his eyes for two minutes. Two minutes turned into two hours. He would've slept well into the night if something hadn't awakened him. Perhaps it was the alarm clock in the back of his mind going off. Maybe it was because of the way he slept. Sleeping in a makeshift bed with his body twisted into a pretzel was not his idea of the best comfort.

Nathan stretched in his seat and checked his watch; 3:30 AM. It was still pitch black outside. He looked in Lucas's direction. The boy seemed to have changed positions again. This time, he was almost curled up as much as his healing body would allow with his back facing Nathan. Lucas had somehow pushed off his blanket in his sleep. The backless hospital gown exposed the knobby column of Lucas's backbone and the thick gauze affixed to his shoulder.

Nathan heard a noise. Perhaps that was the noise that woke him. He wasn't sure if the sound came from Lucas. He stood still to catch that sound once more. He listened to the darkness and sure enough, he heard the same noise again. It sounded like a soft whimper. This time, he was positive it came from Lucas. Nathan rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and made his way to Lucas's bed. Because of the dark room, he moved slowly, careful not to trip over anything. The whimpering was more audible when he approached the boy.

"Lucas," Nathan called softly. Lucas did not hear him.

"Hey, kiddo," Nathan called again and nudged the boy gently on the arm.

Still trapped in his dream, Lucas did not respond to his father's touch. As the dream grew more intense, he let out a heart-wrenching sob. "No!" he cried as his body racked with fear.

"Lucas, come on, kiddo. Hey – wake up." Nathan shook the boy slightly harder, hoping he was not harming his son. It seemed to have worked because Lucas's eyes opened. Confused, he squinted in the dark.

"Dad?" his small voice quivered.

"It's me. I'm here," Nathan assured him.

"Dad – Dad. I'm sorry. I forgot to finish Chief Crocker's new security program. It's my responsibility, and I forgot. Don't ground me. I'll remember to do it tomorrow," Lucas stammered, still in a sleepy state. Disoriented, he couldn't tell where he was. He thought he was in his own room. He cringed in pain when he tried to sit up.

"Easy. Lie back down." Nathan quickly threw an arm around the boy's shoulders and lowered him back onto the bed.

"What? Where?" Lucas faltered as his confused mind tried to sort things out and backtrack.

"Lucas, you're in the hospital. You had a bad dream. Come on, kiddo, you're scaring me," Nathan said as he reached for the light switch on the lamp near the bed.

"Huh? Oh, right. Now I remember. I'm sorry. I-I don't know why I said that..." He managed to say this much with a straight tone before bursting into tears.

"Kiddo, it's ok. It's ok," Nathan comforted. He wished he could take the boy in his arms and hold him. "You want to talk about it?" Nathan watched Lucas brush away the falling tears on his already wet cheeks.

Lucas shook his head and let out a sob. "I'm so stupid," he said through clenched teeth.

"No, you're not. How could you say that? It was dark, and you were just confused," Nathan said while rubbing Lucas's arm affectionately. "Could've happened to anyone."

Nathan grabbed some tissues and helped Lucas wipe off the tears. The boy's eyes were red and puffy from crying. He wished there was something more he could do for him.

"Don't cry, my son. I'm right here. Things will be alright. I promise," Nathan soothed, hoping he was helping. When Robert was growing up, it had always been Carol who did the comforting at moments like this. Nathan was newer at this and hoped he could say the right things.

Lucas sucked it in and quit crying, even though his eyes were still moist. "Dad," the boy blubbered. "Stay with me. Please?"

His son's scared, small voice made it hard to resist. "Of course. You don't even have to ask," Nathan said as he proceeded to fix Lucas's blanket. "Let's get this straightened out. There we go." He spread the blanket on top of the boy and sat beside him on the edge of the bed.

Lucas sniffled and rested his cheek on his father's shoulder. "Feeling better?" Nathan inquired. The boy gave a short nod. "How's your knee and shoulder? Do they hurt?"

"They're ok. Don't hurt as much," Lucas murmured.

"Wanna try and get back to sleep?" Nathan suggested. "Kristin, Cynthia, and Robert should be here in a few hours."

"Yea," the boy replied and snuggled beside his father.

Just as Nahan reached over to turn off the lamp, Lucas shouted, "NO!" Startled, Nathan stopped in his tracks and looked at his son.

"Please don't turn that off," Lucas begged. The fragile sound of the boy's plea put a knife through Nathan's already bleeding heart. "_Please_."

"Alright. We can sleep with the light on if you want," Nathan allowed. His eyes fell on the frightened child resting in his arms. The worrying never really ceased. As long as Lucas was distressed, he, in turn, would be tormented because of it.

The doctor was right. Nathan believed him now. There was something very wrong with his son. Aside from the physical injury, Nathan saw how the nightmares were starting to weigh heavily on Lucas. In the beginning, Nathan figured a few bad dreams were probably expected. He never imagined it would have such an adverse effect on the young boy. This wasn't a temporary state of mind that would ultimately pass within a short period of time. He wondered about the frequency of these rapidly surfacing dreams that haunted Lucas's subconscious. He had never seen Lucas act this way, so willing to show and receive affection. Lucas always pushed himself to be as mature as the crew he served with. This vulnerable child persona was not the Lucas he knew. Nathan's reflection was broken with a sigh from Lucas.

"You're going to be alright. I'll hold you for as long as you like. I'm not going anywhere," Nathan guaranteed. Lucas responded by putting his right arm around his father's waist and giving him a soft squeeze to show his affection. Nathan was happy that his son needed him so badly. He stroked Lucas's back.

"That's a good boy," Nathan lulled. "You are so brave. Everything will turn out alright."

Lucas dried his eyes with an old tissue he held in his hands. He wanted to speak, but he just couldn't find the words.

"Kiddo, it was only a dream. I know it was horrible, but you don't have to be scared. It wasn't real," Nathan whispered. "I'm real. And you're real. I'll protect you. I won't let anything or anyone hurt you. Don't cry, ok?"

"Ok," Lucas replied.

"Good, now close your eyes and get some sleep," Nathan advised. "Remember, I love you."

As much as Lucas was afraid of the uncertainty of what might appear in his dreams, he was dead tired and sleep didn't sound so threatening after all. He prayed that he would be spared for the rest of the night. He closed his eyes and drifted off into the dream world almost instantly. Nathan continued rubbing the boy's back in a tender up and down motion. Doing so seemed to calm the boy tremendously as well as help put the boy to sleep. Nathan watched his son carefully, and it wasn't long before he drifted off as well.

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><p><strong>Please review, I simply live for them so please, please review.<strong>


	17. Going Home

**Here is a new chapter for all my loyal readers. A couple things to note in case you haven't read my past stories. In my first story 'A Friend in Need' I redid Bridger's rooms to include a room for Lucas attached to it which is made mention in this story. Well I hope you all enjoy.**

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><p>Robert and Cynthia walked out of the hospital and got into the rental car.<p>

"Would you like to go and get something to eat before we go back to the hotel; my treat?" Robert said, heading to one of his favorite restaurants.

"That would be nice, thank you," Cynthia said as she enjoyed the ride to the restaurant.

"You and Lucas have sure gotten close really quickly," Cynthia noted, trying to make conversation once they sat at a table.

"I know; after all we have been through, I am just grateful he is not running in the opposite direction," Robert replied, watching Cynthia's reaction.

"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of things? Mom never gives details, just the outline of what is going on. She doesn't want to intrude on your privacy." Cynthia stated, while taking a bit out of her food that they ordered.

"Well, if you don't mind, I have yet to be comfortable with telling people about that. It is a part of my history I would love to forget," Robert answered quietly and looked down at his plate.

"That's okay I understand. I know that you were gone for six years, and that is hard enough. Then, you came back, found out your mother had passed away and that your father had adopted a new son. That's even harder," Cynthia said, "But Lucas is a sweet kid. And he's so smart, and he knows that you care for him. You don't find many brothers who are so close when they have such an age difference between them."

"Well, I think that has to do with _him_. I mean, he never got to be around kids his own age. Plus, he gets along well with Ben Krieg, and we have been friends since the academy," Robert explained as they prepared to leave the restaurant, making their way out to the car where a woman was standing.

"Who is _this_?" Melanie asked, looking at Cynthia with disgust.

"Not that it is any concern of yours, but this is Cynthia, Doctor Westphalen's daughter," Robert explained, ushering Cynthia into the car, and then turning to Melanie. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I told you we were _not_ through; I wanted to talk to you, but you have been avoiding me," Melanie stated as though nothing had ever happened between them.

"There is nothing to talk about. Just stay away from me and my family," Robert said as he and Cynthia got in the car and left, leaving Melanie standing in the parking lot steaming.

It was two days before Lucas was set to be released and Robert was spending more time with him until he would be going back to work, Nathan had gone to get coffee.

"Hey Robbie could you hand me my laptop, Kristin sat it under dad's coat in the corner." Lucas said as he sat up a little.

"Are you sure that is where she left it, it is not here." Robert stated moving his fathers coat.

"I am sure, she put it there so I couldn't reach it. She wanted me to go to sleep." Lucas said getting worried.

"Could she have taken it with her?" Robert questioned looking at Lucas's worried face as their father walked in carrying two coffees.

"What is wrong boys?" He asked seeing Lucas's worried expression.

"My computer is missing." Lucas said, "I wanted to message Wolfman but it is gone.

"Was there anything important on it?" Nathan asked worried.

"I was working on a security program for Crocker but I put that under a lot of security. I don't think anyone could hack into it I set it up myself." Lucas said.

"I will ask around and see if anyone has seen anything out of the ordinary." Nathan said leaving the room.

Lucas's hospitalization had come to an end after several long weeks. Although his wounds had not completely healed yet, he was showing enough signs of improvement to be released. Much to Lucas's disappointment, though, his computer had mysteriously gone missing during his stay at the hospital, so now he could not do any work. His dad had locked his old room, which had served as his office.

The first day back had been more exciting than Lucas ever imagined. He would still have crutches for a while since the bear's claws had badly injured his leg. He never expected anyone would go through the trouble of throwing him a "Welcome Home" party. His father had driven him to the pier where the launch was waiting, keeping mum about any surprise party. It was just another normal day. Lucas didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until they headed to the mess hall. To his surprise, almost the whole crew on board showed up with ear-to-ear grins, all eager to greet the boy. They had just a skeleton crew until they arrived in the Caribbean. The rest of the crew was finishing two more days' leave. Then, they would be flown out to resume duty. There was a huge light blue banner that read, "Welcome Home Lucas!" with each block letter in a different color. The banner was so huge that it could probably be seen from the moon.

Party decorations adorned the room from silver streamers to multi-colored latex helium-filled balloons tied around the endless number of chairs and foldaway tables. Each table was coordinated with red and white-checkered paper tablecloths along with matching utensils. Large foil trays filled with food were spread out on several card tables.

Lucas learned that it was Ben who coordinated all the decorations and helped organize the party. Kristin was the head honcho, who managed pretty much everything else and especially the catering, but everyone pitched in. It seemed like the whole crew donated their time. Lucas was truly touched and flabbergasted that so many people in this town (that he once hated with a vengeance) liked him so much. Just about everyone wanted to give Lucas a hug when he hobbled into the room. Nathan was a little nervous about it at first being that the boy was not yet fully recovered. Ben cautioned the crowd by humorously following Lucas around and constantly saying, "Fragile, handle with care!" to anyone who looked like they were about to hug the boy, though Lucas did not look happy about it.

Lucas sat, mainly talking to Miguel, Tim, and Ben while all the other crew enjoyed the leisure time. They'd only been out in open water for about thirty minutes when the attack sirens went off and the loud speakers came on.

"Captain to the bridge."

"The crew quickly dispersed, and Lucas slowly made his way to his room. He would have normally rushed to the bridge to see what was going on, but he was not to return to any kind of work for another two months. Lucas was surprised when he was halfway to his quarters, and the boat rocked a bit. It knocked him off his feet. He was unsteady as it was with his crutches. As he began to get up, the power went off and emergency lights came on.

(Meanwhile on the bridge)

"Commander, what is the situation?" Bridger said as he walked onto the bridge.

"Two subs just came up from the bottom. They're ordering us to surrender," the commander explained.

"Captain, they are preparing to fire," Ortiz informed his superiors.

"Launch counter measures," Bridger said, taking control.

"Countermeasures away, Sir," a young sailor said. "Interception in five, four, three, two, impact." The ship rocked with the shockwave. Moments later, all the computers went offline.

"What just happened? We could not have sustained that much damage?" Bridger asked.

"We didn't," Commander Hitchcock said, "it is like someone just hit the off switch. Everything but life support is offline."

"How long till we get systems back online?" Bridger asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't even know what caused it to go out. We have security measures that can do this, but they all have codes," the commander explained. "Plus, they need a computer that was attached to our database. Any other program would have shut off life support as well. If it is true they have complete control, they can use our normal systems."

"What about weapons?" Nathan asked.

"No, they would have to be aboard to do that," Katie explained.

"Damn it," Nathan said, "Have a security team waiting in launch bay, just in case. I need to find Lucas."

"Captain?" Ford asked.

"Lucas's computer was stolen while he was in the hospital. It would have been connected to the database. I need to find out what he had on his computer," Bridger explained as he left the bridge.

Bridger headed for his quarters, guessing that was where Lucas would have been headed. He found Lucas sitting in the hallway, halfway between the mess and their quarters.

"Lucas, are you alright?" Nathan asked, worried his son had hurt himself when the boat rocked.

"Yes, but when the boat rocked I lost my balance, and know I am having problems getting back up since I can't bend my leg," Lucas explained as Nathan bent forward to help his son to his feet.

"Why didn't you call someone?" Nathan questioned.

"Well we are in the middle of something I didn't want to distract anyone." Lucas explained, "So, what is going on?" Lucas asked.

"Someone got a hold of codes that shut down all power except life support. We are dead in the water." Nathan said as they began walking toward the bridge.

"You think whoever did this stole my computer?" Lucas asked, feeling guilty.

"Yes, I think they did," Nathan said as they arrived on the bridge.

"Captain, we have a message coming through."

An image of a woman came on the screen.

"Captain Bridger, how nice to see you again. Now here is how we are going to do things. We are going to board your ship, and you aren't going to stop us. If you even attempt it, I will put a bullet in your son's head. And this time, he will stay dead," the women said, stepping back to allow Bridger to see his oldest son tied to a chair with a gun pointed at him. "So, you going to cooperate or when we do get on the boat, I will not hesitate to kill your other son as well."

"How do I know you won't kill him anyway?" Bridger said, trying to keep calm.

"You don't, but if you try to stop us, I will definitely kill him; your choice. I know you are a skeleton crew, so you don't have enough men to stop us. So what is your decision?"

"The UEO does not negotiate with terrorists," Nathan said, turning to make eye contact with Lucas.

"Suit yourself, Captain. We are coming aboard, then you can say goodbye to both your sons before you watch me kill then both," the women said, closing the connection.

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><p><strong>Please rate and review.<strong>

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	18. Intuders and Allies

**I am so sorry that I have not updated for over two weeks between Memorial Day Weekend and a horrible case of writers block I finally have a new chapter for you. **

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><p>The sub moved to dock onto <em>seaQuest<em>. The launch bay doors opened, and the intruders barreled in. Crocker and the few security members aboard were quickly overpowered and moved to the brig. Meanwhile, Nathan manually sealed off the bridge.

"Alright, men," the female intruder said, "I want a deck by deck search. Doctor Westphalen will be taken to the bridge for her surprise. Everyone else goes to the brig. Move out." The rest of the invaders headed to the bridge, taking Robert and another young women was pulled along with them.

"Sir, they have sealed off the bridge manually; we will have to force the doors open," a young man said once they arrived at the bridge.

"Well, get the doors open." the woman barked, "These two here are anxious to be reunited with their parents."

Ten minutes later, the doors were forced open. The crew watched as all the intruders barged in, the second group rejoining the first once they had found Dr. Westphalen.

"What do you want?" Bridger demanded as the rest of the crew was rounded up.

"Simple; we want _seaQuest _at our disposal." the leader said.

"Melanie, don't do this." Robert said, "This is not you."

"Actually, my dear Robert, it is," Melanie said, "I was sent to get to your father, and there is no easier way to get to the captain than through his sons. And Cynthia, here, is just an added bonus."

"_SeaQuest _is useless to you, navigation is nothing without weapons, and you have no control over the weapons," Nathan explained.

"I may not, but I know how to get control. You may not negotiate with terrorists, but that does not mean your son won't," Melanie said as she pointed a gun at Robert's head, "So, tell me, Lucas, will you give us complete control of _seaQuest_ in exchange for the lives of your family?"

"I need control of the computers for that, but since they are shut off, there is nothing I can do," Lucas shot back.

"Turn on the bridge computers," Melanie said, speaking into a PAL unit.

"So why do I have to do this if you could hack into my computer? How is it that you can't just do the same here?" Lucas questioned, trying to help his dad find out more information about the intruders.

"It took a team of twenty hackers working around the clock for nearly three weeks to get into that computer," Melanie said, clearly annoyed. "With you, it will be much simpler, and we can all go on our way."

Lucas quickly went to work on the computers, occasionally looking at everyone around him as more men came onto the bridge leading Kristin, who was shoved over by Robert and Cynthia. Lucas worked for another twenty minutes when the computers shut off, then came back on.

"Did you get me weapons?" Melanie demanded, moving closer to the boy.

"No, but I did lock you out of the system. You also might want to leave since we are broadcasting a distress call to all UEO subs within a 100 mile radius," Lucas spat, causing Melanie to slap the boy so hard across he face the fell from his chair and landed on his bad shoulder, causing the boy to cry out.

Nathan and Kristin both moved toward him. Men blocked Kristin, but Nathan was quickly at his son's side. Lucas looked up at his father, pain evident in his blue eyes that began to water from pain.

"Lucas, sit up for me, please," Nathan said, helping his son to lean against him. "I need to make sure you did not reopen any of your stitches."

"Hold it," Melanie said, "You are not going to do anything until you tell me exactly what you did."

"I put a lock on the system," Lucas said through gritted teeth. "I set a password that only I know, but it requires a sequence of voices belonging to certain crew members to activate it. They must speak in a specific order, or we are all locked out of the system, so you can't kill any of us. So you might as well leave because you are never going to get into this system."

"I have people who can make you talk," Melanie said as a couple men stepped forward.

"You will not touch my son," Nathan said moving in front of Lucas.

"You are out-numbered, Captain, so step aside," Melanie commanded.

The two men came forward, grabbed Lucas, and took him off the bridge toward his and the captain's quarters. As soon as they walked into the room, one of the men shoved Lucas onto a couch that was sitting in the main room. The other man brought his gun up, smashing it into the back of the first man's head.

"Are you okay, Lucas?" the man asked, moving toward the boy now on the sofa.

"Who are you?" Lucas asked, curious at what the man's angle was.

"I'm Antonio Garcia I work for the UEO, I have been undercover trying to take down this organization for nearly six months. I apologize for not doing anything sooner but that would have blown my cover. Is there any way we can send out a message from here?" the man asked, helping the boy to his feet.

"Yeah, I have a computer but it is in my office in mammal engineering," Lucas said, unsure if he could get there himself since his leg was throbbing because the men had dragged him off the bridge while his crutches were left behind.

"How far is that from here?" Antonio asked worriedly, looking at the young man who looked ready to drop at any moment.

"That is down on E-deck," Lucas said, moving toward the door but suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Why don't you wait here? Lock the door. I am going to go down to the brig and release the crew. I want to have a doctor look at you before we do anything else. Your distress call should get someone's attention. All we have to do is get control of the ship before torpedoes start flying," Antonio said as he helped Lucas lay on his bed. He then tied up the other man before locking the door as he left.

Antonio made his way slowly toward the brig. He smiled at how few guards were posted; only two men guarded the doors to the brig. They were too busy chatting to see the man walking up to them. Antonio quickly knocked out both men with his gun. He slowly entered the brig to ensure that no extra men were stationed inside the room. He walked inside to see about fifty crew members sitting in cells. He moved toward the cells, grabbing the keys to unlock the doors.

"My name is Antonio Garcia I work undercover for UEO, I need to know which of you is the doctor?" he asked as he unlocked each cell.

"I am Dr. Levin; your men already took Dr. Westphalen to the bridge," Levin said.

"I know, but Melanie, the lady in charge, got a little rough with Lucas. He is in the captain's quarters. I think his shoulder had an old injury that has reopened. I need you to patch him up so that he can get a hold of the UEO," Antonio explained. "The rest of the security team can help me reclaim control. Lucas has then locked out of the system. There are a few men still walking around the boat but most of them are on the bridge. We need to get weapons; then we can split up."

"I can get the weapons," Crocker said signaling for his security team to follow. "Krieg, you can go with Levin to ensure he gets to the captain's quarters safely."

"Yes, Sir," Ben said as they all moved out.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading I hope you enjoy. Please Review. <strong>


	19. Pain

**Sorry once agian for taking so long to update. I keep getting writers block. this is short but I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Lucas lay in his bed, nearly asleep, when a knock came. He instantly froze, wondering if men were coming to take him back to the bridge.<p>

"Lucas, unlock your door," a familiar voice said though the door. "Lucas?" Ben said again. The boy did not look up. "Lucas?" he raised his voice, thinking the boy did not hear him.

"Ben?" Lucas questioned, not believing his ears.

"Yes, it's me; open your door," Ben said, worrying about what state Lucas may be in.

Lucas stumbled over to the door and unlocked it as he leaned heavily on the wall. Dr. Levin and Ben entered. Levin relocked the door and carried over the med bag they had picked up on their way to Lucas's room.

They watched Lucas for a moment and marveled at how he even managed to make it to the door. Levin's instincts kicked in, giving him an eerie feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him that something was terribly wrong. He noticed that Lucas hadn't moved or acknowledged them since they had walked in.

"Lucas, buddy?" Ben said with concern as he made his way alongside the boy. As he got closer, he realized that his eyes were closed. "Lucas?"

The boy finally looked up to face Ben, eyes brimming with tears. His lip trembled as he discharged a few big droplets of tears that were hanging onto the corners of his eyes.

"Oh, Lucas," Ben signed, knowing Lucas must be really sick if he was showing this kind of emotion. Lucas reluctantly shook his head from side to side. Ben and Levin watched the tears roll down the boy's cheeks. "Tell me what's wrong," Levin urged as he rolled a seat over to Lucas and sat him down.

"Are you in pain?" the doctor asked, running his eyes over the boy, wondering how honest he would be. Westphalen normally took care of Lucas because she was the only one who could get an honest answer out of him.

Lucas nodded.

"Show me where it hurts," he demanded gently.

"Here," Lucas mumbled. He placed his hand on his shoulder where he had landed earlier. "It's bad," he added. Levin could see the boy was in terrible pain by his appearance. Lucas had his back arched and shoulders slumped forward, arms wrapped around his middle.

"Okay, let's get you to your bunk. You'll be more comfortable there." Levin got up from his seat and offered to help the boy. He was about to help him stand by grabbing his arm when Lucas gave a holler.

"No! Don't touch me! Don't move me!" Lucas blubbered desperately. Startled at the response, he drew back. "It hurts. It hurts so badly," the boy tearfully whimpered.

"Lucas, you can't sit here like this. Maybe on the bunk? You can lie down," Ben suggested, hoping Lucas would listen to him. "Do you want to lie down?" he asked with escalating concern.

Lucas slowly nodded.

"I'm going to help you up, okay?" Ben advised. "Easy, now, easy," Ben said as he gently placed Lucas's arm around the back of his neck so he could support his weight.

Slowly, they stood up. The pain was so intense that Lucas could hardly take a step forward. Ben had an arm around his waist to maintain his balance. Lucas winced with each step as he was guided to the bunk like a blind person. It was pretty much the case because the tears blurred his vision so much that he couldn't know where he was going anyway.

Ben lowered the boy onto the bunk gently in a sitting up position. He told him to lie down, but Lucas refused to be moved any further. He leaned back on the bunk with tears still flowing out of the corners of his closed eyes.

"Lucas, when was the last time you took any pain medication?" Levin asked.

"At seven when I woke up this morning," Lucas whispered softly.

"Your next dose of medicine isn't due for another half hour, but seeing you're like this, I don't think waiting another half hour will make a difference," Levin determined when he looked at his watch.

"I'll go get your pills," Ben said and hurried to the captain's room to get water and Lucas's medication.

When Ben returned to Lucas's room, Lucas was still in the same position. "Here, take this," Levin ordered as Ben handed the cup of water and two pills to him. He reached out a trembling hand to receive the mug.

"Lucas! Your hand! You're shaking!" Ben exclaimed. He watched the boy's shaky movements as he popped the pills into his mouth and ravenously washed the pills down with the water.

"Huh?" Lucas responded as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He handed the mug back to Ben, who placed the mug onto a table by his bed.

"Don't play dumb with me. Your hands – they're shaking. Look," Ben said, pulling both of Lucas's convulsing hands side by side to prove his point.

"Oh, it's been like this ever since I left the hospital. Sometimes, it goes away completely, and sometimes it comes back," he said like it was no big deal. "Doc says it comes back when I get nervous. But she says the shakes will go away eventually. It is some kind of stress brought on by the bear attack."

Ben shot a sympathetic gaze at the boy. Lucas leaned his head back and closed his eyes again. The twisting pain in his shoulder was unbearable for the young boy. He opened his eyes to find the men looking worriedly at him.

"What is going on now?" Lucas asked. "Have we got control of the boat yet?"

"We don't know," Ben started, "Antonio sent us up here to check on you while he and the rest of the security team went to get weapons. They are going to meet us here before they head to the bridge."

"Lucas, I need to look at your shoulder and knee to make sure you haven't torn any stitches," Dr. Levin informed Lucas as he started to pull the bandaged off his knee that was exposed since he was wearing shorts. "Your knee looks fine now; if you can take your shirt off, I need to see that shoulder."

" M'kay," Lucas said as the pain medication made him more and more drousy.

"I was afraid of this," Levine's said as he examined Lucas's shoulder, "He has torn nearly half the stitches in his shoulder from falling on it. I am going to have to restitch it, but we are going to have to go to medbay. I don't have the equipment here."

"We should wait until the chief gets here with weapons. That way, I can stand guard of intruders while you stitch him up," Ben suggested, "He will be alright, though?"

"If he doesn't get an infection, then yes, he will be just fine," Levin said when pounding was heard at the door.

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><p><strong>Thank You all for reading. I hope you enjoy this story has only a few more chapters before I end it. Please review.<strong>


	20. The End

**Sorry for the wait, I have been fighting constantly with my Muse. I keep wanting to finish this story but she keeps wanting to start another. This is the last chapter of my story so I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>A loud banging was heard on Lucas's cabin door, startling the occupants. They breathed a sigh of relief when a voice was heard.<p>

"Krieg, open the door," demanded Chief Crocker as Ben obeyed and moved to open the door.

"Chief, what is our plan?" Ben asked, wanting this whole situation to end quickly.

"We need to get access to the bridge, but going right through the doors won't work; got any ideas?' Antonio asked, thinking reasonably.

"We need to get Lucas to med bay so that I can stitch up his shoulder," Levin put in before the men were too consumed in planning.

"We will take him there first, and you can lock yourselves in; then we will move to the bridge," Crocker explained as he handed Krieg a gun.

"Air duct," Ben said as he checked the gun. "What if a couple of us crawled through the air ducts to the bridge? The rest could come in through the doors as a distraction."

"That could work. You and Antonio can go through the ducts while we cause some distractions to lure a few more men out," Crocker said. "But first, let's move to medbay so that Lucas and the doctor are safe. Move out."

Ben gently picked up the sleeping Lucas; his pain medication always made him dead to the world. He carried him while they all moved to medbay. They got lucky and did not run into any of the intruders and quickly made it to medbay without incident. Ben put Lucas on one of the beds and security left.

Ben and Anthony made their way through the ducts closest to the bridge. Crocker and the rest of security moved toward the bridge doors to draw out some of the men. Antonio used his radio to signal the leader once they were all in position.

"Melanie, I have some information for you; open the doors to let me in," Antonio said, giving Crocker his way onto the bridge.

Melanie signaled for her men to open the door, giving a smug look at her hostages. It quickly disappeared as twenty _seaQuest_ security men flooded though the door, quickly taking out the startled men on the bridge. All froze when Melanie pulled her gun, aiming at Robert's head.

"Freeze or I will put a bullet in his head," Melanie shouted as her finger slowly clamped the trigger of her gun.

A shot rang out, and Melanie dropped her gun and fell to the floor. Many turned to see where the shot had come from when Ben followed by Antonio dropped out of the ducts. Nathan moved forward and untied Robert and Cynthia and then turned to Antonio.

"Where is my son?" Nathan asked, recognizing the man as one of the men who had left the bridge with Lucas.

"He is in medbay with Dr. Levin. I am Special Agent Antonio Garcia I work for UEO; I was working undercover to take down Melanie and could not reveal myself until she made her move," Antonio said, handing over his gun as a sign of good faith.

"How many more men are on the_ seaQuest_?" Nathan asked.

"I am surprised she had them all on the bridge. All the other men are still on the sub," he informed them.

"Okay, Commander Ford, you are in charge I will be in medbay if you have any major problems," Nathan said, moving toward the doors, closely followed by Robert, Kristin, and Cynthia.

Nathan and the group made their way cautiously to medbay, double checking that there were no other people in the hallway. Nathan moved to open the door, only to find it locked. He knocked on the door, signaling his arrival to the occupants.

"Lucas, its Dad; open the door," Nathan said, hoping to hear an immediate reply. Nathan heard the lock unclick, and a voice came in reply a moment later.

"Enter slowly."

The group walked in to face Dr. Levin standing in front of the bed where Lucas was asleep with a gun drawn. He immediately lowered the gun as he saw it really was the captain.

"How's Lucas?" Nathan asked, moving over to his son.

"He tore a few stitches in his shoulder that I re-stitched. He took some more pain medication, and he has been asleep ever since," Levin informed Nathan.

"Thank you," Nathan said, "We are all going to stay here until all the intruders have been locked in the brig. As soon as Lucas wakes, we need to get the password he used to lock the computers so we can get to our original destination."

"Dad?" they heard Lucas murmur.

"I'm here, Lucas," Nathan said, moving right next to Lucas's bed. "How are you feeling, kiddo?"

"Like hell," Lucas said.

"Watch it," Bridger warned. Then, more gently, he said, "I need to know the password to unlock the bridge."

"It is 'I'm smarter than you, bitch' with no spaces. All you have to do is type it in I lied about the rest," Lucas said.

"Okay, kiddo, you rest," Bridger said with a chuckle and left to return to the bridge with the password since communications were still down.

"Status report," Bridger said as he entered the bridge.

"We have all the intruders from the bridge moved down to the brig; half of security is securing the sub, and the rest are conducting a deck by deck search," the commander informed the captain.

The captain nodded, and then moved over to the computer consult to enter the password. Shortly thereafter, all the systems came back on. The crew on the bridge all turned to the captain.

"Lucas informed me of the password and said he had lied about the rest. Now get to work," Nathan said, "I will be in medbay. Call me if I am needed."

"Captain, how is Lucas?" Tim asked the captain as he headed for the door.

"He is tired, but he will be okay with a little time," Nathan said as he headed out the door.

Over the next six months, the_ seaQuest _had gone back to normal. Lucas was healed from the bear attack and no longer had tremors. He was just Lucas again. He was now taking online courses to obtain a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence with his thesis paper being about his work on _seaQuest._ Robert had decided to help Cynthia with her orphanage. He loved the kids and spending time with her. He and Cynthia had been dating nearly the whole time. They were planning a visit to the _seaQuest _soon with some news.

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><p><strong>Thank You all who have read this story, I hope you have enjoyed it. I have a new idea I am going to work on so by next month I will have a new story for you guys. Review please. <strong>


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